Studies  in  tKe 
^jfe  of  Jesvis  Cl\rist 


.division 
Section 


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STUDIES   IN  THE 
LIFE   OF  JESUS   CHRIST 


.U;;.    1    1924 

Studies  in  the^ffi„.„.,„«^*vv 


ceiCALSf*! 


Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


EDWARD   I.   BOSWORTH 

DEAN    OF   OBERLIN    THEOLOGICAL   SEMINARY 


New  York 

YOUNG  MEN'S  CHRISTIAN   ASSOCIATION  PRESS 

1909 


Copyright,   ig04,   by 

The  International   Committee   of 

Young   Men's   Christian   Associations 

IO-0-P4097 


Preface 


THIS  book  is  designed  to  introduce  the  student  to  the  inductive 
study  of  the  life  of  Jesus  Christ.  It  therefore  takes  up  one  by 
one  the  four  accounts  of  the  life  of  Jesus  that  have  come  dovpn 
to  us  from  apostolic  days.  It  has  seemed  best  for  the  purpose  in 
hand  to  take  these  four  Gospels  up  separately,  rather  than  in  the  form 
of  a  Harmony,  because  it  is  only  through  the  study  of  them  as  separate 
wholes  that  the  individuality  of  each  can  be  adequately  appreciated. 
A  further  reason  for  such  treatment  is  the  fact  that  there  is  already 
published  an  exceedingly  useful  course  based  upon  a  Harmony. 

The  Gospel  of  Mark,  now  generally  recognized  as  the  oldest,  and 
certainly  the  simplest  of  the  four  Gospels,  will  be  made  the  basis  of  the 
study  in  Part  I.  This  Gospel  will  be  studied  in  detail,  with  only  occa- 
sional references  to  the  other  three  Gospels  for  supplementary  matter. 
Briefer  surveys  of  Matthew  and  Luke  will  be  taken  with  the  purpose  of 
discovering  their  individual  characteristics.  Last  of  all,  in  Part  II 
John's  Gospel  will  be  studied  at  some  length.  The  Gospel  of  Mark 
will  by  this  arrangement  serve  as  a  standard  for  purposes  of  compari- 
son in  the  study  of  the  other  Gospels.  This  emphasis  of  Mark  is  also 
desirable  for  another  reason,  namely,  that  Mark's  Gospel  consists  of 
narrative,  rather  than  teaching,  and  since  the  teaching  of  Jesus 
receives  special  attention  in  the  last  course  in  the  College  Cycle, 
"Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles,"  it  is  desirable  in 
the  present  course  to  pay  attention  chiefly  to  the  narrative. 


PART  I 

Studies    in    the    Life    of  Jesus  Christ    as    Pre- 
sented in  the  Synoptic  Gospels 

1.  Detailed  Study  of  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ  up  to  the  Last 

Week,  Chiefly  According  to  Mark.     Studies  I-XI. 

2.  General  Survey  of  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ  up  to  the  Last 

Week,  According  to  Matthew.     Studies  XII-XIIL 

3.  General  Survey  of  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ  up  to  the  Last 

Week,  According  to  Luke.      Studies  XIV-XVIL 

4..   Detailed  Study  of  the  Last  Week  of  the  Life  of  Jesus 
Christ,   According   to  the   Synoptic   Gospels.     Studies 

xvin-xxiiL 


PART    II 

Studies   in    the    Life    of  Jesus    Christ    as 

Presented    in    John's    Gospel. 

Studies  XXIV-XXX 


PART   I 

STUDIES    IN   THE    LIFE    OF   JESUS    CHRIST   AS 
PRESENTED   IN  THE  SYNOPTIC   GOSPELS 

I.   Detailed  Study  of  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ  up  to 
the  Last  Week,  Chiefly  According  to  Mark. 
Studies  I-XI 


Note 


In  case  a  shorter  course  than  one  running  through  thirty  weeks 
should  be  desired,  attention  is  called  to  the  fact  that  Studies  I-XI, 
together  with  Studies  XVIII-XXIII,  constitute  a  complete  course 
occupying  seventeen  weeks,  based  chiefly  on  the  Gospel  of  Mark 
but  making  some  use  of  Matthew  and  Luke. 

Studies  XXIV-XXX,  namely  Part  II,  also  constitute  a  complete 
course,  based  on  the  Gospel  of  John  and  occupying  seven  weeks. 
This  latter  course,  however,  is  recommended  as  supplementary  to 
the  work  in  Part  I  rather  than  as  an  independent  course. 

Studies  I  and  II  are  longer  than  is  desirable  at  the  beginning  of  the 
course.  It  is  suggested  that  the  leader  of  the  class  make  thorough  use 
of  Study  I,  but  do  not  require  it  of  his  class;  and  that  the  class  take 
two  weeks  for  Study  II. 


Tsi 


Introductory  Note  on  Mark  and  his  Gospel 

There  is  good  reason  for  considering  the  Gospel  According  to  Mark 
to  be  really  Peter  s  Reminiscences  of  his  Lord.  The  historian  Eusebius, 
of  Caesarea  in  Palestine,  who  died  about  340  A.D.,  in  Book  III,  chap- 
ter 39,  of  his  Church  History,  quotes  the  following  statement  made  by 
Papias,  Bishop  of  Hierapolis  in  Asia  Minor,  who  died  probably  be- 
tween 125  and  150  A.D. :  "This  also  the  presbyter  said:  Mark,  having 
become  the  interpreter  of  Peter,  wrote  down  accurately,  though  not  in- 
deed in  order,  whatsoever  he  remembered  of  the  things  said  or  done  by 
Christ.  For  he  neither  heard  the  Lord  nor  followed  him,  but  after- 
ward, as  I  said,  he  followed  Peter,  who  adapted  his  teaching  to  the 
needs  of  his  hearers,  but  with  no  intention  of  giving  a  connected 
account  of  the  Lord's  discourses,  so  that  Mark  committed  no  error 
while  he  thus  wrote  some  things  as  he  remembered  them.  For  he  was 
careful  of  one  thing,  not  to  omit  any  of  the  things  which  he  had  heard 
and  not  to  state  any  of  them  falsely."  The  "presbyter"  whom 
Papias  here  quotes  probably  belonged  to  an  older  generation  than  that 
of  Papias  himself,  and  this  testimony  therefore  is  very  early.  If  we 
assume  that  the  work  of  Mark  here  referred  to  is  our  Gospel  of  Mark, 
we  see  what  superior  preparation  Mark  had  for  the  composition  of  the 
Gospel.  The  quotation  represents  Peter  to  have  had  a  series  of  anec- 
dotes regarding  his  Lord  from  which  he  made  selection  according  to 
the  varying  needs  of  his  hearers.  Although  Peter,  as  a  native  of  bi- 
lingual Palestine,  in  addition  to  his  vernacular  Aramaic,  probably 
knew  also  some  Greek,  he  did  not  feel  equal  to  making  public  addresses 
in  Greek;  just  as  many  Americans  who  read  German  easily  and  have 
some  conversational  use  of  the  language,  would  not  think  of  delivering 
a  public  address  in  German.  The  most  natural  inference  from  the 
quotation  is  that  Mark  knew  Greek  better  than  Peter  did  and  helped 
Peter  in  his  work  among  Greek  speaking  peoples.  Peter's  anecdotal 
reminiscences  may  have  taken  a  somewhat  stereotyped  oral  form  and 
been  taught  by  Mark  to  classes  of  Peter's  converts.  This  series  of 
anecdotes  Mark  finally  arranged  in  the  order  in  which  we  now  have 
them,  and  perhaps  after  introducing  some  other  matter  as  a  result  of 
personal  investigation,  wrote  them  out  in  the  Greek  narrative  which 


X      Introductory  Note  on   Mark  and  his  Gospel 


has  come  down  to  us  as  the  Gospel  According  to  Mark.  In  this  way 
the  Spirit  of  God  secured  to  the  Christian  church  what  Professor  H.  B. 
Swete  aptly  characterizes  as  the  "primitive  picture  of  the  Incarnate 
Life,"  the  Gospel  which,  though  "  the  simplest  of  the  books  of  the 
New  Testament,"  nevertheless  "  brings  us  nearest  to  the  feet  of  the 
Master." 

A  few  words  about  the  personality  of  Mark  himself  may  properly 
precede  the  study.  John  Mark  was  a  Jerusalem  boy  whose  mother, 
Mariam,  was  a  well-to-do  widow  and  a  prominent  woman  among  the 
Jerusalem  Nazarenes,  for  it  was  in  her  commodious  house  that  a  large 
company  of  them  were  gathered  to  pray  for  Peter  on  the  night  before 
the  day  set  for  his  execution.  It  was  to  this  house  on  that  night  that 
Peter  went  as  soon  as  he  was  released  from  prison  (Acts  12:12).  It 
has  sometimes  been  conjectured  that  John  Mark  was  the  young  man 
who  was  so  nearly  captured  on  the  night  of  Jesus'  arrest  (Mark  14: 
51-52),  and  if  so,  that  it  was  in  his  father's  house  that  Jesus  ate  the 
Last  Supper  with  the  inner  circle  of  His  disciples.  John  Mark,  there- 
fore, was  acquainted  as  a  boy  with  the  information  regarding  Jesus 
current  in  the  Jerusalem  church.  He  had  connection  with  the  apos- 
tolic circle,  not  only  as  the  special  friend  and  protege  of  Peter,  but  also 
as  the  kinsman  of  Barnabas  (Col.  4: 10)  and  as  the  associate  of  Paul. 
He  traveled  as  a  "minister"  in  the  missionary  campaign  of  Paul  and 
Barnabas  for  a  time,  but  abandoned  them  under  circumstances  that 
greatly  annoyed  Paul  (Acts  12:25;  13:5,  13;  15:38-39).  Later  he 
traveled  with  Barnabas  alone  (Acts  15:39).  Years  afterward,  during 
the  last  months  of  Paul's  life,  Paul  wrote  to  one  of  his  friends  from 
prison:  "Take  Mark  and  bring  him  with  thee:  for  he  is  useful  to  me 
for  ministering  "  (II  Tim.  4:11).  Mark  seems  to  have  been  a  "use- 
ful" man,  "useful"  to  Peter,  to  Paul,  to  Barnabas,  to  the  converts 
whom  he  catechized,  and  finally,  through  his  Gospel,  to  the  whole 
church  of  God,  though  perhaps,  as  Professor  Swete  says,  "not 
endowed  with  gifts  of  leadership." 

The  ancient  church  believed  that  this  Gospel  was  written  in  Rome 
and  for  the  Roman  church.  That  the  Gospel  was  written  for  Gen- 
tiles and  not  for  Jews  is  certainly  evident  from  the  passage  7 : 3-4. 
It  is  now  generally  thought  to  be  the  oldest  of  our  four  Gospels,  and  to 
have  been  put  into  its  present  form  some  time  between  65  and  70  a.d. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  I. — preliminarp  EcalJing;  of  tf)e  (Soepel  Slccorliing;  to  f^aik 

First   Day  :    Mark  and  his  Gospel 

1.  The  Gospel  of  Mark  is  to  be  read  through  this  week  in  portions 
assigned  to  each  day,  and  an  analysis  of  the  narrative  will  be  given  in 
connection  with  this  reading  which  will  serve  to  show  the  progress  of 
thought  in  the  book  and  be  the  basis  of  the  detailed  study  that  is  to 
follow  the  general  reading.  The  Revised  Version  is  recommended, 
and  the  "Twentieth  Century  New  Testament"  will  often  be  found  to 
be  suggestive.  The  Gospel  has  so  often  been  regarded  as  made  up  of 
disconnected  sentences,  each  one  numbered  and  thought  of  as  suitable 
to  serve  as  a  text  for  a  sermon,  that  the  general  sweep  of  the  narrative 
as  a  whole  may  not  have  been  noticed. 

The  main  purpose  of  the  book  and  the  progress  of  its  thought  will 
be  noted  at  the  end  of  the  week  after  the  book  has  been  read  through. 
The  principal  characteristics  of  the  Gospel  will  appear  as  the  study 
proceeds.  It  is  sufficient  here  to  call  attention  in  a  preliminary  way 
simply  to  the  vividness  and  simplicity  of  its  descriptions.  A  few 
introductory  words  about  book  and  author  may  properly  precede  the 
reading;  read  therefore  at  this  point  the  "Introductory  Note  on  Mark 
and  his  Gospel." 

2.  The  following  is  an  outline  of  the  Gospel  showing  the  divisions 
and  subdivisions  that  will  be  characterized  and  read  during  the  week. 
Do  not  stop  to  examine  it  now,  but  refer  to  it  during  the  week  if  you 
find  it  helpful. 


Introduction:  I  :l-l 3.  Galilee    Instructing    the 

Twelve. 

I.  1 :  14-7:23,  Jesus  in  Galilee  as       I.   7:24-30. 

Prophet-healer.  2.   7:31-8:26. 

1.  1:14-45-  3-  8:27-30. 

2.  2:1-3:6.  4.    8:31-9:29. 

3-  3:7-4:34.  5-  9:30-50- 

4-  4:35-5:43-  6.  10:1-12. 

5.  6:1-56.  7.  10:13-16. 

6.  7:1-23.  8.  10:17-31. 

9.  10:32-45. 

II.  7:24-10:52,    Jesus    Outside      10.    10:46-52. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


III.   11:1-15:47,  The  Last  Week      9.   14:43-52. 

in  Jerusalem.  10.    14:53-72. 

1.  ii:i-ii.  II.    15:1-15. 

2.  11:12-25.  12.    15:16-20. 

3.  11:27-12:12.  13.    15:21-47. 

4.  12:13-44. 

5.  13:1-37.  IV.   16,  The  Resurrection. 

6.  14:1-11.  I.   i6:i-8. 

7.  14:12-25.  2.   16:9-20. 

8.  14:26-42. 

3.  The  first  verse  is  really  the  title,  and  might  be  printed  on  a  page 
by  itself.  Now  read  l :  1-13,  considering  it  to  be  an  introduction  de- 
scribing very  briefly  the  summons  to  repentance  brought  to  the  nation 
by  John  the  Baptist,  a  rough  prophet  of  the  wilderness;  Jesus^  baptism 
luith  its  inaugural  vision  announcing  Him  to  be  the  Son  of  God;  and 
His  period  of  temptation  as  Son  of  God  in  the  solitude  of  the  wilderness. 

Personal  Thought:  The  reverent  student  of  life  is  frequently  im- 
pressed by  the  casual  way  in  which  great  events  often  occur  or  great 
careers  begin.  The  Gospel  of  Mark  seems  to  have  come  to  the  world 
through  the  medium  of  a  comparatively  commonplace  man,  in  a  some- 
what commonplace  way,  but  none  the  less  by  the  definite  arrangement 
of  God  Himself.  Commonplace  daily  life  throbs  with  the  life  of  God, 
and  no  commonplace  man,  doing  commonplace  duties,  can  tell  at  what 
moment  the  casual  may  become  of  world-wide  significance.  One's 
only  safety  lies  in  accepting  every  chance,  and  in  "  being  steadily  at 
his  best." 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  I. — prcUminarp  KeaBtna;  of  tl)e  (Sospel  ^Iccortiinfl:  to  ilHatfe 
Second  Day:    Mark  1:14-4:34 

Before  reading  regularly  on  in  the  Gospel,  look  briefly  at  the  gen- 
eral trend  of  the  first  main  division  of  the  Gospel,  I:  14-7:23.  This 
you  can  do  by  quickly  glancing  at  the  passages  parenthetically  referred 
to  in  the  following  characterization  of  the  division: 

Jesus  appears  in  Galilee  as  a  Prophet-healer  Announcing 
THE  Nearness  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  (1:14,  15,  32-34,  39)  and 
Becomes  VERY  Popular  AMONG  THE  People  (i  :  28, 45;  3:  7-12,  20,32; 
4:1;  5:  21;  6:54-56);  BUT  He  arouses  the  Bitter  Hostility  of 
THE  Religious  Authorities  because  of  His  Peculiar  Relig- 
ious Teaching  and  Practice  (2:7,  16,  24;  3:6,  22;  7:5). 

Read  quite  rapidly  the  first  subdivision  of  the  main  division  just 
described,  namely,  i :  14-45  ;  in  the  light  of  the  following  summary: 
"Jesus  appears  as  a  prophet-healer  proclaiming  the  Kingdom  of  God, 
attaches  four  men  to  Himself,  and  is  received  by  the  Galileans  with  an 
enthusiasm  that  interferes  with  His  public  teaching. 

Read  the  second  subdivision,  namely,  2: 1-3:6,  noting  the  following 
summary  of  its  contents:  Jesus  begins  to  reveal  peculiar  religious 
views  that  arouse  the  suspicion  and  ultimately  the  violent  opposition 
of  the  religious  authorities  of  the  nation. 

Read  the  third  subdivision,  namely,  3:  7-4:34,  noting  the  following 
summary  of  its  contents:  In  the  face  of  the  continued  opposition  of 
the  religious  leaders  Jesus  boldly  begins  to  gather  out  of  His  large 
popular  following  an  inner  circle,  the  nucleus  of  which  consists  very 
significantly  of  twelve  men,  to  whom  He  reveals  by  parables  and  private 
explanations  certain  secrets  (^'mysteries")  connected  with  the  Kingdom 
of  God. 

Note  in  writing  the  characteristics  of  Jesus  that  have  impressed 
you  in  the  reading  thus  far. 

Personal  Thought:  "He  spake  the  word  unto  them  as  they  were 
able  to  hear  it"  (4  :  33).  New  truth  cannot  be  unloaded  in  an  un- 
prepared mind  like  furniture  in  an  empty  house.  Remember  that 
what  it  took  you  a  long  time  to  understand  and  accept  you  cannot 
usually  expect  another  to  accept  from  you  when  you  first  attempt  to 
share  it  with  him.  Be  sure,  too,  that  God  has  much  to  say  to  you 
that  you  are  not  yet  able  to  hear.  If  we  remember  this  we  are  often 
kept  from  intolerance  and  impatience. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  I. — |)rclimiiiarp  Kcatiiag;  of  tl)c  (Sospd  3lttortiinB;  to  iHarli 
Third  Day:    Mark  4:35-7:23 

Remember  that  Jesus  has  gone  boldly  forward  with  the  selection 
and  training  of  the  twelve  men  in  spite  of  opposition  on  the  part  of  the 
powerful  rabbis.  Read  now  the  fourth  subdivision  of  the  first  main 
division,  namely,  4:35-5:43:  J^^us  performs  four  very  startling 
wonders,  three  of  them  in  the  presence  of  the  inner  circle  only.  Is 
there  anything  in  the  character  of  these  four  wonders  that  at  all 
differentiates  them  from  those  that  have  been  previously  mentioned  ? 

Read  the  fifth  subdivision,  namely,  6  :  1-56:  Jesus  sends  out  the 
Twelve  me.i  to  preach  and  heal  in  preparation  for  the  coming  Kingdom  ; 
He  feeds  a  great  company,  consisting  of  more  than  five  thousand  per- 
sons, with  a  few  cakes  and  dried  fish  ;  and  His  fame  reaches  both  the 
royal  court  of  Herod  and  the  smaller  country  settlements. 

Read  the  sixth  subdivision,  namely,  7  :  1-23:  A  crisis  is  occasioned 
by  the  coming  of  a  delegation  of  religious  leaders  from  the  capital  city 
into  the  north  country  to  inspect  Jesus;  they  complain  thai  He  is 
lax  in  advocating  the  ohservance  of  the  sacred  ^^  tradition";  but  they 
are  vigorously  and  publicly  attacked  by  Him  with  indignant  sarcasm 
on  the  ground  that  the  religious  teaching  of  their  professional  "tradi- 
tion" is  scandalously  at  variance  with  the  law  of  God. 

Write  out  again  to-day  whatever  characteristics  of  Jesus  have 
impressed  you  in  the  reading. 

Personal  Thought  :  "And  they  .  .  .  said  one  to  another,  who 
then  is  this.?"  (4:41).  It  is  this  question  that  men  ever  since  have 
been  asking.  It  was  never  asked  more  insistently  than  in  our  own 
critical  yet  eager  generation.  There  is  something  about  the  person- 
ality of  Jesus  that  compels  men  to  keep  on  asking  it.  We  do  not  ask, 
Who  then  was  Julius  Caesar  .?  who  then  was  Aristotle  .?  Let  your  aim 
in  this  study  be  to  give  some  better  answer  to  this  question  for  your 
own  faith.  The  question  is  not  answered  merely  by  applying  a  title 
to  Jesus,  but  by  finding  something  in  His  personality  to  which  your 
personality  responds  with  conviction  and  personal  devotion. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  I. — |)reltminarp  EeaUina;  of  t^c  (Soepcl  SIccarlJiiiff  to  iJlarti 
Fourth  Day:    Mark  7:24-9:29 

The  second  main  division  of  the  Gospel  is  7:24-10:52.  Before 
reading  it  by  subdivisions  take  a  general  survey  of  its  thought  by 
rapidly  glancing  at  the  parenthetical  references  in  the  summary  below. 

After   His    Decisive    Break  with  the   Rabbis   (7  :  6-9),  He 

STAYS  FOR  THE  MOST  PART  OuTSIDE  OF  GaLILEE  (j  :  24,  3I ;  8  :  I3,  27; 

10:  i)  AND  Devotes  Himself  Largely  to  the  Instruction  of  the 
Inner  Circle  of  His  Adherents  (8: 15-21;  8:31-9:  i;  9:2-13,  30, 
31,  35-50;  10:  10,  23,  32,  42),  WHO  are  now  seen  to  regard  Him  as 
THE  Messiah  (8:27-30);  He  perplexes  them  by  Predictions  of 
His  Death  (8:31;  9:31)  and  by  a  Statement  of  Repellent 
Conditions  of  Discipleship  (8:34;  9:45);  He  Starts  for  Jeru- 
salem (10:  32). 

Read  the  first  subdivision,  7:24-30,  in  the  light  of  the  following 
summary:  After  a  sharp  break  with  the  rabbis  (7:  1-23)  Jesus  leaves  the 
country  and  seeks  seclusion  tn  Syrian  Phoenicia,  where  He  has  a 
significant  interview  with  a  native  of  the  country. 

Read  the  second  subdivision,  7:31-8:26:  Jesus  goes  south  to  the 
Galilean  border,  where,  in  consequence  of  His  healing  work,  crowds 
begin  to  gather  about  Him,  although  He  tries  strenuously  to  keep 
His  cures  secret ;  He  feeds  a  great  multitude  with  a  few  cakes  and 
dried  fish,  and  immediately  after  an  ominously  brief  interview  with 
the  rabbis  begins  to  express  keen  solicitude  about  the  inner  circle. 

Read  the  third  subdivision,  8:27-30:  Jesus  leaves  the  country  and 
goes  far  to  the  northeast  with  the  inner  circle  ;  here  it  becomes  evident 
that,  tn  spite  of  the  opposition  of  the  religious  leaders,  and  tn  advance 
of  the  opinion  of  the  friendly  element  tn  the  nation,  the  inner  circle 
regard  him  as  the  Messiah;  Jesus  is  gratified  {cf.  Matt.  16:  17-19), 
but  requires  that  their  opinion  be  kept  secret. 

Read  the  fourth  subdivision,  8:31-9:29  :  The  inner  circle  are  per- 
plexed and  offended  by  certain  new  and  strange  statements  of  Jesus 
regarding  His  prospective  death  and  resurrection  and  regarding  the 
hard  conditions  of  discipleship  ;  at  the  end  of  a  week  three  leaders 
privately  have  a  wonderful  experience  with  Him  at  night  (cf.  Luke 
9:32)  on  a  mountain;  He  exhibits  power  over  an  especially  obdurate 
case  of  demoniacal  possession. 

Note  the  characteristics  of  Jesus  that  have  appeared  to-day. 

Personal  Thought:  Mark  9:  24. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  I.— prcUminarp  KcaUina  o£  tl)e  (Soepel  StccorUins  to  ;parb 
Fifth  Day:    Mark  9:30-11:25 

Read  rapidly  the  ffth  subdivision  of  the  second  main  division, 
namely,  9  :  30-50:  'Jesus  returns  secretly  to  Galilee  and  devotes  Himself 
to  the  Twelve,  repeating  His  perplexing  statements  regarding  His  death 
and  resurrection  ;  He  tells  them'that  the  continuance  of  their  ambitious 
temper  will  send  them  to  the  Gehenna  of  fire. 

Read  the  sixth  subdivision,  I0:l-I2:  Jesus  temporarily  resumes 
public  teaching,  this  time  to  the  southeast  of  Galilee,  and  surprises  His 
disciples  {cf.  Matt.  19:  10)  by  the  strictness  of  His  teaching  regarding 
marriage. 

Read  the  seventh  subdivision,  10:13-16:  Jesus  surprises  His  dis- 
ciples by  His  teaching  regarding  the  significance  of  child  life. 

Read  the  eighth  subdivision,  10:17-31:  Jesus  surprises  His  dis- 
ciples by  His  teaching  regarding  the  ineligibility  of  the  rich  for  en- 
trance into  the  coming  Kingdom. 

Read  the  ninth  subdivision,  10:  32-45:  Jesus  again  speaks  to  the 
Ttuelve  about  His  approaching  death  and  resurrection  but  without  effect. 

Read  the  tenth  subdivision,  10  :  46-52:  In  Jericho,  fifteen  miles 
from  the  capital,  in  the  midst  of  a  great  crowd,  Jesus  gives  sight  to  a 
blind  beggar  who  begins  the  Messianic  cry,  and  an  enthusiastic  pro- 
cession starts  for  the  capital  city. 

The  third  main  division  of  the  Gospel  is  1 1 :  1-15 :  47.  Before  read- 
ing it,  if  you  have  time,  note  its  general  trend  by  glancing  at  the 
parenthetical  references  in  the  following  summary: 

The  Final  Week  in  Jerusalem,  marked  by  the  Continued 
Instruction  of  His  Disciples  (ii:2ifF;  12:43,44;  13:1-4;  14: 

17-25),  AND  ALSO  BY  ShARP  CONFLICTS  WITH  THE  ReLIGIOUS  LEAD- 
ERS (11  :  27ff;  12  :  12;  12  :  l3fF;  12  :  l8fF;  12  :  35ff;  12  :  38-40),  which 
Culminate  in  His  Arrest,  Trial  and  Execution  for  the  Al- 
leged Blasphemy  of  Pretending  that  He  is  the  Messianic  Son 
OF  God  (14  :  61-64). 

Read  the  first  subdivision  of  the  third  main  division,  namely,  ll; 
I-Ii:  An  enthusiastic  procession  brings  Jesus  into  the  capital  city,  as 
the  Messiah. 

Read  the  second  subdivision,  II  :  12-25:  Jesus  expels  the  bazaar 
men  from  the  temple  colonnades,  and  the  priestly  custodians  of  the  temple, 
alarmed  by  His  boldness,  join  the  rabbis  in  opposing  Him  ;  He  makes 
no  effort  to  organize  His  popular  following,  but  instead  urges  upon  them 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


prayerful  faith  in  God  as  the  means  by  which  the  coming  Kingdom  is 
to  he  established  ;  by  blighting  a  fig  tree  He  dramatically  shows  them 
what  faith  in  God  can  accomplish. 

Write  out  carefully  a  statement  of  the  characteristics  of  Jesus 
revealed  by  this  day's  reading.  If  the  same  ones  repeatedly  occur, 
do  not  hesitate  to  note  them,  for  such  recurrence  is  of  value  to  you 
in  forming  your  conception  of  His  character. 

Personal  Thought:  Our  glad  task  is,  by  a  process  of  unvpearying 
experiment,  to  secure  experience  with  the  forces  of  the  spiritual 
world  and  the  laws  of  their  action.  The  first  experiments  that  are 
made  may  not  be  followed  by  conspicuous  success,  for  they  are  often 
made  unintelligently  and  with  imperfect  knowledge  of  the  conditions 
of  success.  The  first  experiments  of  a  beginner  in  an  electrician's 
laboratory  may  be  very  disappointing,  but  he  expects  to  keep  at  them 
until  he  learns  how  to  succeed.  Other  experimenters,  of  established 
reputation,  have  attained  results  that  make  him  sure  that  results  can 
be  attained.  The  church  has  yet  to  learn  the  possibilities  of  achieve- 
ment through  an  intelligent  use  of  the  prayer  law.  Enough  has  been 
accomplished  by  individual  experimenters,  and  especially  by  the  Great 
Man  of  Prayer,  the  great  Specialist  in  the  spiritual  world,  to  warrant 
individuals  in  making  a  lifelong  series  of  experiments.  Have  you  ever 
studied  the  conditions  of  effective  praying  ? 

"  Pray  for  my  soul.      More  things  are  wrought  by  prayer 
Than  this  world  dreams  of.      Wherefore  let  thy  voice 
Rise  like  a  fountain  for  me  night  and  day." 

— Tennyson,  The  Passing  of  Arthur. 


8  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Studv  I. — |JrcIimtnarp  Kcatiinff  of  tl)c  (Soepcl  3lccorliinff  to  JJla^fe 
Sixth   Day:   Mark  11:27-14:52 

Read  the  third  subdivision  of  the  third  main  division,  11  :  27-12: 12: 
The  leading  priests  and  rabhis,  alarmed  by  the  expulsion  of  the  bazaar 
men  from  the  temple  colonnades,  informally  call  Jesus  to  account  for 
His  exercise  of  authority  ;  He  in  reply  denounces  them  for  their  attitude 
towards  John  the  Baptist,  and  in  a  parable  solemnly  warns  them  that  their 
opposition  to  Himself  will  result  in  disaster  to  themselves  and  the  nation. 

Read  the  fourth  subdivision,  12:  13-44:  The  Pharisees  and  Sad- 
ducees  (rabbis  and  priests)  fail  in  three  distinct  efforts  to  discreditjesus 
an  a  relig'cus  teacher ;  they  are  then  themselves  easily  discredited  as 
religious  teachers  by  Jesus,  who  reveals  their  confused  and  inadequate 
Messianic  conception  ;  Jesus  then  publicly  criticizes  them  as  religious 
hypocrites. 

Read  the  fifth  subdivision,  13:  1-37:  Jesus  startles  the  inner  circle 
by  announcing  to  them  that  the  beautiful  temple  will  be  destroyed,  and 
in  a  private  conversation  dicusses  the  time  of  this  destruction  and  of  His 
own  Messianic  demonstration. 

Read  the  sixth  subdivision,  14;  l-li:  At  a  dinner  party  Jesus  is 
anointed  by  a  woman,  perhaps  in  loving  personal  anticipation  of  the 
public  Messianic  anointing  which  the  inner  circle  anticipate  will  soon 
occur,  but  to  Jesus'  mind  the  act  suggests  the  very  preparation  of  His 
body  for  the  grave ;  something  in  the  incident  moves  one  of  the  inner 
circle  to  propose  to  betray  Him  to  the  hostile  religious  authorities. 

Read  the  seventh  subdivision,  14:  12-25:  yf/  the  Passover  Supper 
Jesus  speaks  sorrowfully  of  treachery  in  the  inner  circle,  and  by  two  acts 
of  most  impressive  symbolism  pictures  His  death  and  hints  at  its  deep 
significance. 

Read  the  eighth  subdivision,  14  :  26-42:  Jesus,  absorbed  in  the  thought 
of  his  impending  death,  tries  to  prepare  the  inner  circle  for  it,  and 
then  goes  alone  to  a  garden  where,  in  great  mental  distress.  He  prays  to 
be  spared,  if  possible,  the  experience  that  awaits  Him. 

Read  the  ninth  subdivision,  14  :  43-52:  Judas,  one  of  the  inner  circle, 
secures  Jesus'  arrest ;  all  the  inner  circle  abandon  Jesus. 

Note  carefully  as  usual  the  characteristics  of  Jesus  that  have  ap- 
peared to-day. 

Personal  Thought:  They  had  not  yet  seen  the  glorified  Christian 
Messiah!  Do  we  do  better  than  they  v^hen  it  costs  to  be  identified 
with  Him  ? 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  I. — |)rclimtnarp  KcaUing:  of  t\)t  (Btmj^tl  Slccorttng;  to  ^larli 
Seventh  Day:  Mark  14:53-16:20 

I.  Read  the  tenth  subdivision  of  the  third  main  division,  14  :  53-72: 
"Jesus  is  tried  by  the  Sanhedrin  with  scandalous  haste,  and  when  the 
prosecution  has  failed  to  make  its  case,  on  His  own  confession  that  He 
considers  Himself  to  be  the  Messiah,  He  is  condemned  to  death  as  a 
blasphemer;  the  most  prominent  man  in  the  inner  circle  denies  ever 
having  known  Him. 

Read  the  eleventh  subdivision,  15:1-51:  The  Roman  procurator, 
after  some  hesitation,  endorses  the  death  sentence. 

Read  the  twelfth  subdivision,  15:  16-20:  In  a  brief  interval,  when 
preparation  for  the  crucifixion  is  being  made,  Jesus  is  left  to  be  the  vic- 
tim of  the  brutal  horseplay  of  the  entire  cohort  of  soldiers  stationed  in  the 
barracks. 

Read  the  thirteenth  subdivision,  15:  21-47:  Jesus  is  crucified  in  the 
midst  of  the  jeers  of  the  religious  leaders,  and  after  only  a  few  hours  of 
suffering,  to  the  amazement  of  the  procurator,  dies  suddenly  amid  por- 
tentous phenomena  ;  He  is  placed  in  a  sepulchre  by  a  member  of  the 
Sanhedrin. 

1,  The  fourth  main  division  is  chapter  16:  The  Resurrection 
OF  Jesus,  His  Appearances  to  the  Members  of  the  Inner  Circle, 
AND  Final  Instructions  to  them. 

There  are  two  subdivisions,  the  first  of  which  is  16  :  1-8.  Read  it 
in  the  Hght  of  the  following  summary:  The  second  day  after  the  exe- 
cution friendly  women  come  to  the  sepulchre  to  complete  the  burial,  but 
do  not  find  the  body,  and  are  told  by  a  young  man  in  white  sitting  in  the 
sepulchre  that  Jesus  has  risen  and  will  meet  the  inner  circle  in  Galilee. 

The  second  subdivision  is  16  :  9-20.  It  is  thought  by  many  to  be  a 
later  ending  and  not  to  have  been  originally  a  part  of  this  Gospel. 
Read  it  in  the  light  of  the  following  summary:  Jesus  appears  to  His 
disciples  several  times,  and  at  His  last  appearance  sends  them  out  into 
the  world  to  proclaim  the  gospel;  He  ascends  into  heaven,  where  He 
continues  to  co-operate  with  them. 

3.  The  main  purpose  and  the  progress  of  thought  in  the  Gospel 
have  now  become  reasonably  clear.  Jesus  begins  in  Galilee  as  a  great 
prophet-healer  announcing  the  nearness  of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  He 
speaks  with  an  authority  and  independence  that  arouse  the  bitter 
opposition  of  the  rabbis.     He  is  compelled  to  leave  GaHlee,  and  con- 


lO         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


centrates  attention  upon  Twelve  of  His  disciples  who  accept  Him  as 
the  Messiah.  He  comes  at  the  end  to  Jerusalem,  where  He  declares 
His  conviction  that  He  is  the  Messiah,  and  because  of  this  declaration 
He  is  executed  as  a  blasphemer.  The  third  day  after  He  rises  from 
the  dead. 

Write  out  a  statement  of  the  principal  characteristics  of  Jesus 
revealed  by  the  week's  reading. 

"Contrast  Christ's  day  with  ours.  .  .  .  We  are  educated, 
enlightened  by  the  best  thought  of  the  past,  the  surest  knowledge  of 
the  present;  but  His  were  an  uneducated  people,  hardly  knew  the 
schoolmaster,  and  where  they  did,  received  from  him  instruction  that 
stunted  rather  than  developed.  We  live  in  a  present  that  knows  the 
past  and  is  enriched  with  all  its  mental  wealth.  .  .  .  But  Jesus 
lived  in  a  present  closed  to  every  past,  save  the  past  of  His  own  people. 
The  common,  home-born  Jew  knew  the  Gentile  but  to  despise  him; 
the  wisdom  of  Greece  and  Rome  was  to  him  but  foolishness,  best  un- 
known; while  the  light  that  streamed  from  his  own  Scriptures  could  be 
seen  only  through  the  thick  dark  horn  of  rabbinical  interpretation. 
We  live  in  times  when  the  world  has  grown  wondrously  wide  and  open 
to  man;  when  nations  beat  in  closest  sympathy  with  each  other;  when 
the  thoughts  of  one  people  swiftly  become  those  of  another;  when  com- 
merce has  so  woven  its  fine  network  around  the  world  that  all  its  parts 
now  feel  connected  and  akin;  but  Jesus  lived  in  a  land  which  prided 
itself  on  its  ignorance  and  hatred  of  the  foreigner,  where  the  thought  of 
common  brotherhood  or  kinship  could  only  rise  to  be  cast  out  and 
abhorred.  In  our  day  nature  has  been  interpreted,  the  physical 
universe  has  become  practically  infinite  in  space  and  time,  filling  the 
soul  with  a  sense  of  awe  in  its  presence  the  earlier  ages  could  not 
possibly  have  experienced;  but  in  Christ's  day  and  to  His  countrymen 
nature  was  but  a  simple  thing,  of  small  significance,  with  few  mysteries. 
Ours  is,  indeed,  a  day  that  might  well  create  a  great  man,  a  universal 
teacher,  the  founder  of  a  new  faith.  Yet  where  is  the  person  that 
thinks  it  possible  for  our  historical  conditions  to  create  a  Christ  ? 
But  if  the  creation  of  Christ  transcends  our  historical  conditions,  was 
it  possible  to  his  own  ^  Or  does  He  not  stand  out  so  much  their 
superior  as  to  be,  while  a  child  of  time,  the  Son  of  the  Eternal,  the 
only  Begotten  who  has  descended  to  earth  from  the  bosom  of  the 
Father,  that  He  might  declare  Him?" — Fatrbairn,  "Studies  in  the 
Life  of  Christ." 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         ii 


Study  II.— (KUents  ^Tinmeljiatelp  |)rcceiinff  tl)e  |)ttbUt  life  of 
First  Day:  The  General  Situation  in  Palestine 

N.  B. — The  value  of  these  studies  will  be  greatly  increased  if  you  keep  a  note-book 
and  write  out  answers  to  the  questions  asked,  as  well  as  thoughts  of  your  own  that  the 
studies  may  suggest. 

1.  The  Political  Situation. — Read  Luke  3: 1-2.  The  Jews  had  been 
a  part  of  the  Roman  Empire  since  63  B.  c,  when  the  Romans,  under 
Pompey,  finding  that  the  Sabbath-keeping  Jews  would  not  fight  on  the 
Sabbath  day,  raised  their  battering  rams  against  the  walls  without  risk 
on  the  Sabbath  and  captured  the  city  (Josephus,  Antiquities,  14:4:3). 
This  capture  of  Jerusalem  closed  a  century  of  struggle  and  inde- 
pendence in  some  respects  the  most  brilliant  of  all  Jewish  history. 

The  Romans  governed  the  Jews  through  the  Herods,  a  powerful 
family  probably  of  Edomite  origin  (that  is,  descendants  of  Esau),  who 
knew  how  to  make  themselves  tolerable  to  the  Jews  and  indispensable 
to  the  Romans.  The  most  famous  member  of  the  family,  Herod  the 
Great,  "the  splendid  Arab" — a  man  of  strong  passions,  dark  vices,  and 
large  executive  ability — had  died  shortly  after  the  birth  of  Jesus. 
When  Jesus  entered  public  life  several  members  of  this  famous  family 
were  holding  governorships  in  districts  of  Palestine,  although  Judea, 
in  which  Jerusalem  was  situated,  was  governed  by  Pontius  Pilate,  the 
Roman  procurator.  The  Jews  enjoyed  a  reasonable  degree  of  self- 
government,  although  the  Romans  saw  to  it  that  the  highest  office  in 
the  nation,  the  high  priesthood,  which  had  earlier  been  hereditary  and 
held  for  life,  was  now  filled  by  their  own  nominees  and  held  during  the 
pleasure  of  the  Roman  authorities. 

2.  The  Religious  Situation. — The  Jews  were  specialists  in  religion; 
the  rabbis  and  priests  were  their  most  prominent  citizens.  The  Jews 
inhabiting  Palestine  at  this  time  were  descendants  of  the  compara- 
tively small  minority  that  had  cared  enough  for  religion  to  turn  away 
from  the  business  openings  in  Babylon  and  return  from  the  Baby- 
lonian captivity  to  Jehovah's  temple  in  Palestine.  The  centre  of 
their  religious  system,  at  least  in  its  popular  aspects,  had  finally  come 
to  be  the  Messianic  hope.  It  was  expected  that  a  king  anointed  of 
God  would  appear  who  should  make  them  politically  supreme  in  the 
world.  He  would  found  and  administer  "God's  Kingdom,"  before 
which  all  other  kingdoms  would  disappear  or  become  subordinate. 
The  Caesars  would  one  day  come  to  Jerusalem  with  tribute!    This 


12         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


hope  gave  the  people  life  and  vigor.  Each  springtime  troops  of 
pilgrims  went  singing  up  through  the  country  to  Jerusalem,  looking 
askance  at  the  Roman  soldiers  there  and  praying  for  the  coming  King- 
dom. To  this  coming  Messiah  every  man  looked  for  the  realization 
of  his  ideal.  The  so-called  "Pharisee"  longed  to  see  every  Jew  a 
scrupulous  observer  of  Moses'  Law;  the  Zealot  highlander  from  Gali- 
lee longed  to  see  the  Roman  out  of  the  land;  the  average  man  longed 
for  "  better  times,"  less  work,  better  food  and  clothes  and  more  of 
them;  the  Sadducean  priests,  whose  chief  interest  was  in  the  temple 
revenues,  were  probably  satisfied  with  things  as  they  were. 

3.  The  Industrial  Situation. — Although  the  Palestinian  Jews  were 
a  religious  people,  still,  the  money-making  instinct  which  has  been 
characteristic  of  the  race  in  all  ages,  was  strong  in  them.  As  will 
be  seen  later,  Jesus  had  to  make  determined  protest  against  this  spirit 
which  permeated  even  the  religious  leaders  of  the  nation.  Read  Mark 
12  .  40;  Luke  16  :  14;  Matt.  6  :  19-24.  All  through  the  Gospels  the 
hum  of  business  is  heard.  The  sower,  the  fisherman,  the  pearl  mer- 
chant, the  poor  calculator  who  began  to  build  and  could  not  finish, 
the  banker,  the  rich  farmer,  the  steward,  and  the  money-changer  are 
figures  that  go  busily  about  through  the  Gospel  narrative. 

4.  Greek  Civilization. — Although  the  Jews  had  resisted  the  en- 
croachment of  Greek  life  more  successfully  than  most  nations,  still 
Greek  language  and  customs  had  entered  largely  into  Palestine. 
Greek,  as  well  as  Aramaic  (the  current  dialect  of  Hebrew),  was  spoken 
in  the  land,  and  there  was  a  theatre  even  in  Jerusalem.  Matt.  10: 5  is 
an  allusion  to  the  foreigner  in  Palestine. 

5.  The  Situation  in  the  World. — This  cannot  be  described  here. 
It  was  a  dark  century.  Slavery  existed  in  brutal  form,  family  life  was 
decadent,  human  sympathy  was  meager,  philosophers  were  pessimistic. 
In  Palestine  and  in  the  world  at  large  it  was  an  age  of  highly  developed 
selfishness. 

Personal  Thought:  It  was  God's  plan  to  introduce  into  this  dark 
situation  a  single  Life  which,  like  a  single  clear  true  note,  should  draw 
all  discordant  elements  into  harmony.  The  New  Order  of  things 
began  with  the  introduction  of  that  Life,  its  ideals  and  purposes.  We 
instinctively  date  all  events  of  human  history  with  reference  to  the 
introduction  of  that  Life;  they  happen  either  B.C.  or  a.d.  Think 
to-day,  and  every  day  during  this  study,  of  your  own  relation  to  that 
Life.  How  ought  it  to  affect  your  life  to-day  .?  Read  thoughtfully  the 
first  chapter  of  the  First  Epistle  of  John. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         13 


Study  U. — ©bentB  ^mmtHnttl]^  PteccUinff  tide  pufiUc  life  of 

Second  Day:  Early  History  of  the  Wilderness  Prophet.    Mark 
1:4;  Luke  1:5-25,  57-80 

The  figure  to  which  Mark  first  introduces  us  is  a  weird  one.  Read 
Mark  1 :  1-8.  It  looks  at  a  distance  like  the  figure  of  a  dervish  from 
the  desert  such  as  may  sometimes  be  seen  in  the  streets  of  Cairo  or 
Jerusalem  to-day.  His  uncut  Nazirite's  hair,  destined  one  day  to  be 
clotted  with  his  own  life  blood,  grows  long;  his  cloak  is  of  coarse  hair- 
cloth; a  leather  strap,  not  a  sash,  is  around  his  waist,  and  he  has 
adopted  the  diet  of  the  ascetic  of  the  desert.  One  is  scarcely  prepared 
for  Jesus'  estimate  of  him.     Read  it  in  Matt.  li:  7-1 1. 

Read  the  account  of  his  early  history  in  Luke  i  :  5-25,  57-80,  and 
answer  this  question:  What  were  the  principal  formative  influences  of 
his  boyhood  and  young  manhood  .''  Luke  1:15  indicates  that  he  was 
a  Nazirite  for  life.  Read  Num.  6  :  1-8  to  see  what  this  involved.  The 
death  of  his  parents,  so  old  at  his  birth,  probably  left  him  an  orphan 
before  he  reached  young  manhood.  Luke  1 :  65,  80  indicates  a  life  in 
the  wild  country  west  of  the  Dead  Sea.  In  this  region  were  the  great 
monastic  farms  of  the  strange  white-cloaked  brothers  of  the  quiet  life, 
the  monks  of  Palestine  called  the  Essenes.  John  may  have  been  in- 
fluenced by  them.  His  words  in  Luke  3:11  suggest  the  benevolences 
for  which  they  were  famous. 

During  these  years  in  the  wilderness  the  mind  of  the  young  man 
seems  to  have  been  profoundly  impressed  by  the  Messianic  visions  of 
one  of  the  great  Hebrew  prophets,  for  his  sense  of  mission  finally  ex- 
pressed itself  in  a  sentence  from  this  great  prophet.  Read  John  I : 
19-23.  He  was  a  man  of  much  prayer.  Read  Luke  5  :  33.  Note  in 
Luke  II  :  iff  what  was  secured  for  the  Christian  church  by  an  appeal 
to  John's  practice  in  this  particular. 

Probably  John  visited  Jerusalem  from  year  to  year  during  this  period 
and  looked  out  with  flashing  eyes  upon  the  religious  sham  and  the 
brutal  greed  of  the  city's  life,  and  returned  to  the  desert  to  brood  over 
what  he  had  seen. 

Personal  Thought:  "And  the  child  grew  and  waxed  strong  in 
spirit,  and  was  in  the  deserts  till  the  day  of  his  showing  unto  Israel" 
(Luke  I  :  80).  No  man  prepares  for  an  emergency  in  a  moment. 
What  he  is  in  an  emergency  is  determined  by  what  he  has  regularly 
been  for  a  long  time.  What  you  were  yesterday,  and  are  to-day,  is 
determining  whether  you  will  stand  or  fall  in  some  future  crisis. 


14         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  II. — ©ijcntg  ^Tm'nf^iatflp  preccUinj  tl)e  public  life  at 

3r«uB 

Third  Day:    The  Message  of   the  Wilderness  Prophet.     Mark 
1:2-8;  Matt.  3:1-12;  Luke  3:3-18 

1.  In  the  wilderness,  as  the  months  passed,  there  occurred  a  unique 
elemental  experience;  the  Spirit  of  God  met  the  spirit  of  a  man  and 
communicated  to  it  a  profound  sense  of  mission.  The  sensitive  spirit 
of  the  young  prophet  felt  that  the  time  for  judgment  was  near  and 
that  the  Messianic  executant  of  Jehovah's  wrath  was  on  His  way.  In 
some  vision  of  the  night,  perhaps,  he  saw  a  dove  descending  upon  a 
man,  and  evermore  looked  for  this  sign  in  identification  of  the  Mes- 
siah. A  hint  as  to  his  psychological  history  during  these  weeks  is 
found  in  John  I  :  31-34.  finally,  equipped  only  with  his  vision  and 
conviction,  he  emerged  from  the  wilderness  to  see  if  he  could  not  stir 
the  hearts  of  men  and  move  the  nation  to  prepare  for  judgment  by 
being  washed  in  the  baptismal  waters  of  repentance.  Travelers  com- 
ing up  to  Jerusalem  brought  tidings  of  an  eccentric  nrian  in  the  Jordan 
valley  proclaiming  that  God's  Kingdom  was  at  hand.  The  prophets 
had  often  been  eccentric  men  in  dress  and  behavior.  Moreover, 
every  one  expected  Elijah  to  appear  before  Jehovah's  judgment-day 
(Mai.  4 :  5,  6;  Mark  9  :  11),  and  this  man  was  like  Elijah  in  the  stern 
character  of  his  message  and  in  his  dress  (II  Kings  i :  8,  R.V.  margin). 
Furthermore  it  was  in  the  Jordan  valley  where  the  rough  prophet  was 
now  preaching  that  Elijah  had  disappeared  (II  Kings  2  :  8-12).  No 
wonder  that  these  excitable  Jews  rushed  to  the  Jordan  valley  and  that 
a  group  of  enthusiastic  young  men  gathered  about  the  prophet.  For 
evidence  of  this  see  John  I  :  35;  Mark  2  :  18. 

2.  The  prophet's  message  was  first  of  all  the  nearness  of  the  Mes- 
sianic judgment.  The  keeper  of  the  orchard  had  laid  his  axe  down 
for  a  moment  at  the  root  of  the  tree  while  he  inspected  its  twigs  to  see 
whether  or  not  it  was  dead;  the  farmer  had  lifted  the  winnowing 
shovel  to  begin  to  separate  the  wheat  from  the  chaff  (Matt.  3  :  10-12). 
How  every  man  in  the  crowd  must  have  looked  at  his  neighbor  when 
he  heard  the  startling  words  reported  in  John  I  :  26!  In  view  of  the 
impending  judgment  John  the  Baptist  called  upon  men  to  repent  of  the 
great  national  vices.  What  were  these  vices  ?  Read  Luke  3:  7-14  to 
ascertain.  His  message  did  not  consist  merely  in  threatening  doom. 
It  had  its  glad  side.     Read  Luke  3:  18. 

He  spoke  with  depreciation  of  his  own  baptism;  it  was  only  pre- 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         15 


Ifmlnary  and  symbolical  of  the  real  experience  which  the  Messiah 
himself  would  give  them.  He  would  purify  not  their  bodies  but  their 
spirits  through  association  with  God's  own  Spirit  (Mark  i  :  8).  On 
the  other  hand  the  fiery  wrath  which  He  would  visit  upon  the  wicked 
would  be  felt  in  fact  and  not  merely  in  prophetic  word  (Matt.  3  :  11). 

3.  After  a  time  men  were  tempted  to  believe  that  perhaps  John  the 
Baptist  himself  was  the  Messiah.  The  delegation  from  Jerusalem 
felt  that  this  was  a  possible  hypothesis  (John  I  :  19-20).  John's  own 
disciples  found  it  especially  hard  to  give  up  the  hope  that  he  would 
turn  out  to  be  the  Messiah  (John  3:  26-28).  But  the  early  church  as- 
signed to  him  his  true  position.  In  Mark  1 : 2-3,  and  in  both  of  the 
other  Synoptic  Gospels,  this  position  is  recognized  and  described  in 
prophetic  language.  He  was  like  the  herald  who  goes  beforehand 
through  the  wilderness  shouting  to  the  people  to  build  a  road  on 
which  the  coming  king  and  his  retinue  may  travel.  The  people  must 
level  mountains,  fill  up  valleys,  make  crooked  paths  straight  and 
rough  ways  smooth.  Read  the  full  quotation  of  Is.  40  :  3-5  in  Luke 
3:4-6.  Mark  i:  2  adds  a  sentence  from  Mai.  3:1.  Like  the  person 
described  in  the  prophecy,  this  young  prophet  cried  in  the  wilderness 
to  the  nation  to  prepare  by  repentance  for  the  coming  of  Jehovah's 
Messiah. 

Personal  Thought:  "He  shall  baptize  you  in  the  Holy  Spirit"  (Mark 
1-8);  that  is,  Jesus  the  Messiah  will  introduce  His  disciples  into  a  per- 
sonal relationship  to  the  Spirit  of  the  unseen  God,  which  will  do  for 
their  spirits  what  John's  baptismal  water  did  for  their  bodies,  namely, 
make  them  clean.  A  cleaning  up  of  the  human  spirit  is  to  be  accom- 
plished through  intimate  association  with  the  Spirit  of  God.  This  was 
the  great,  glad  message  of  the  wilderness  prophet.  A  clean-spirited 
man  is  a  man  whose  spirit  is  increasingly  honest,  kind,  and  peaceful. 
Without  overdoing  introspection,  stop  to  ask  yourself  whether  you 
are  being  baptized  each  day  by  Jesus  in  the  Holy  Spirit  of  the  unseen 
God;  whether  you  are  more  honest,  kind,  and  peaceful  than  you  were 
a  year  ago. 


i6         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  II.— (EUctttB  ^mmt'Qiattls  Prccelittff  t^t  poblic  life  of 

Fourth  Day  :  Early  Years  of  Jesus  in  Nazareth.     Luke  2 :  39-52 

1.  Ascertain  from  Luke  3:  23  how  old  Jesus  was  when  He  emerged 
from  private  life.  Note  in  Mark  i :  9  where  Jesus  had  lived  before  His 
public  life  began,  and  in  Mark  6  :  3  what  He  had  been  doing  there. 
Matt.  13  :  55  adds  an  interesting  circumstance.  That  Jesus  took  his 
trade  seriously  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  in  important  crises  of  His 
life  He  instinctively  reverted  to  the  phraseology  of  His  trade.  Note, 
for  instance,  the  language  of  the  "builder"  in  Matt.  16  :  18.  By  this 
trade  He  supported  His  mother,  and  for  a  time  probably  also  some  of 
His  six  or  more  (Mark  6:3)  brothers  and  sisters.  The  fact  that  His 
father  is  not  mentioned  in  this  last  reference  seems  to  indicate  that  he 
was  no  longer  living.  That  Jesus'  father  was  a  man  of  moderate 
means  seems  to  be  indicated  by  Luke  2:  22-24  (cf-  Levit.  12 ;  8),  and 
perhaps  also  by  the  frequent  incidental  evidences  in  Jesus'  teaching  of 
first-hand  acquaintance  with  the  details  of  the  life  of  the  poor.  Per- 
haps Mark  2:  21  was  a  reminiscence  of  his  own  boyhood.  The  prob- 
lem of  His  mother's  support  was  one  of  His  concerns  even  on  the 
cross.     Read  John  19:26-27. 

2.  Jesus'  education  in  Nazareth  had  probably  been  that  of  the  ordi- 
nary boy.  He  had  received  home  instruction  in  the  Scriptures;  the 
family  would  have  been  particularly  interested  in  the  exploits  of  their 
royal  ancestor  David,  although  royalty  had  been  so  long  decadent  that 
their  royal  descent  probably  gave  them  no  more  than  a  little  local  pres- 
tige. Jesus  had  been  at  school  in  the  synagogue  as  a  boy  and  had  ex- 
perienced the  educational  influence  of  the  Sabbath  synagogue  services. 
That  Jesus'  education  had  not  included  technical  training  in  the 
school  of  any  great  rabbi  is  evident  from  John  7: 15,  where  "letters" 
means  literature. 

The  country  about  Nazareth  was  in  its  educational  influence  his- 
torically for  a  Jewish  boy  much  what  the  country  about  Boston  is  for 
an  American  boy.  If  the  village  teacher  was  a  man  of  any  imagination 
he  must  have  spent  afternoons  of  rare  interest  with  his  schoolboys  on 
the  Nazareth  hilltops.  "You  cannot  see  from  Nazareth  the  sur- 
rounding country,  for  Nazareth  rests  in  a  basin  among  hills;  but  the 
moment  you  climb  to  the  edge  of  this  basin,  which  is  everywhere 
within  the  limit  of  the  village  boys'  playground,  what  a  view  you  have! 
Esdraelon  lies  before  you  with  its  twenty  battle-fields — the  scenes  of 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         17 


Barak's  and  of  Gideon's  victories,  the  scenes  of  Saul's  and  of  Josiah's 
defeats,  the  scenes  of  the  struggles  for  freedom  in  the  glorious  days  of 
the  Maccabees.  There  is  Naboth's  vineyard  and  the  place  of  Jehu's 
revenge  upon  Jezebel;  there  Shunem  and  the  house  of  Elisha;  there 
Carmel  and  the  place  of  Elijah's  sacrifice.  To  the  east  the  Valley  of 
Jordan  with  the  long  range  of  Gilead;  to  the  west  the  radiance  of  the 
Great  Sea,  with  the  ships  of  Tarshish  and  the  promise  of  the  Isles. 
You  see  thirty  miles  in  three  directions.  It  is  a  map  of  Old  Testament 
history.  But  equally  full  and  rich  was  the  present  life  on  which  the 
eyes  of  the  boy  Jesus  looked  out.  .  .  .  For  all  the  rumor  of  the 
Empire  entered  Palestine  close  to  Nazareth — the  news  from  Rome 
about  the  Emperor's  health,  about  the  changing  influence  of  the  great 
statesmen,  about  the  prospects  at  court  of  Herod,  or  of  the  Jews  ; 
about  Caesar's  last  order  concerning  the  tribute,  or  whether  the  policy 
of  the  Procurator  would  be  sustained.  ...  A  vision  of  all  the 
kingdoms  of  the  world  was  as  possible  from  this  village  as  from  the 
mount  of  temptation." — George  Adam  Smith,  Historical  Geography 
of  the  Holy  Land,  pp.  433,  434,  435. 

3.  The  years  in  Nazareth  must  have  been  years  in  which  were 
formed  the  habits  that  characterized  Jesus  in  His  public  life.  That 
such  real  development  took  place  seems  evident  from  Luke  2  :  40,  52. 
Here  was  developed  His  love  of  nature  which  is  so  evident  in  the  par- 
ables and  other  illustrations  used  in  his  later  teaching.  What  in- 
stances of  this  occur  to  you  ?  "  Perhaps  on  the  Nazareth  hills  was 
formed  the  habit  indicated  in  Luke  6:  12;  9:  28.  Here  was  developed 
that  passionate  interest  in  ordinary  individual  men  and  women  which 
was  so  conspicuous  later  (cf.  John  4:7,  27-34).  During  these  years 
He  must  have  thought  profoundly  regarding  the  Kingdom  of  God, 
for  He  came  to  the  nation  with  a  new  conception  of  the  Kingdom. 
The  only  glimpse  we  have  of  His  boyhood  life  shows  that  He  was 
becoming  conscious  of  a  unique  relationship  to  God.      Read  Luke  2: 

41-52- 

Personal  Thought :  We  may  say  reverently  that  home  life  afforded 
Jesus  a  large  part  of  His  personal  preparation  for  His  Messianic  work. 
Home  life  is  an  invention  devised  by  the  ingenuity  of  God  for  the  de- 
velopment of  character.  In  a  good  home  one  begins  to  learn  how  to 
treat  a  father  and  a  brother,  and  he  who  learns  how  to  treat  his 
Heavenly  Father  and  his  human  brothers  has  learned  how  to  live. 
If  you  still  have  home  ties,  think  to-day  of  your  own  home  life  and 
whether  you  are  doing  your  part  in  making  it  what  it  ought  to  be. 


i8         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  II. — (Etjcnta  SfmincUiatcIp  prccctiiiiff  tl)e  public  Life  of 

Fifth  Day:   The   Baptism  of  Jesus  with   its   Inaugural  Vision. 
Mark  1:9-11;  Matt.  3: 13-17;  Luke  3:21-22 

Rumors  of  what  was  going  on  in  the  Jordan  valley  reached 
Nazareth.  Perhaps  in  the  cool  of  the  day  from  the  Nazareth  hilltop 
Jesus  often  looked  down  the  green  valley  of  Jezreel  towards  the  Jordan. 
There  came  a  day  when  He  put  His  shop  in  order,  looked  back  upon  it 
from  the  door  for  the  last  time,  and  joined  the  crowds  listening  to  the 
fiery  appeals  of  the  wilderness  prophet.  Is  it  probable  that  John 
the  Baptist  and  Jesus  were  acquainted  .''  Note  the  evidence  in  Luke 
1 :  39-56.  John  1 :  33  indicates  that  John  the  Baptist  did  not  know  that 
Jesus  was  the  Messiah,  but  not  necessarily  that  he  did  not  know  Him 
personally.  Read  Matt.  3:  13-14.  Does  this  mean  that  John  already 
recognized  in  Jesus  the  Messiah  before  the  baptism,  or  simply  that  he 
knew  Him  to  be  an  exemplary  young  man  not  needing  to  repent  of  any 
one  of  the  national  vices  against  which  he  was  himself  preaching,  one 
by  whom  he  might  himself  properly  be  baptized,  rather  than  one 
whom  he  might  baptize  .''  It  is  difficult  to  understand  the  argument  in 
Matt.  3: 15  by  which  Jesus  overcame  John's  unwillingness.  Perhaps 
to  Jesus'  mind  baptism  was  the  identification  of  Himself  with  the 
nation,  an  act  expressing  His  readiness  to  take  His  place  humbly 
among  those  who  looked  for  the  coming  of  the  Kingdom.  He  would 
accept  the  rite  that  all  who  aspired  to  the  righteousness  of  the  King- 
dom observed. 

Jesus  had  an  inaugural  vision,  as  great  prophets  often  did  (Is.  6: 
1-8;  Jer.  1:4-12;  Ezek.  1:28;  2:2).  Can  you  tell  from  Mark  1:9-11 
whether  John  the  Baptist  also  saw  the  vision  and  heard  the  voice  ? 
Note  the  representation  of  Matt.  3:17  (where  John  the  Baptist  seems 
to  be  addressed),  and  John  1 :  32-33.  The  subsequent  narrative 
makes  it  practically  certain  that  the  people  in  general  did  not  witness 
this  phenomenon. 

Luke  3:  21  adds  an  interesting  detail  regarding  Jesus'  state  of  mind 
during  this  experience.  Interesting  questions  arise  here  which  sug- 
gest profitable  subjects  for  reflection,  though  you  may  not  be  able  to 
answer  them  satisfactorily:  What  actually  happened  in  the  personal 
religious  life  of  Jesus  when  the  "Spirit  descended  upon  Him".'' 
What  significance  is  there  in  the  fact  that  the  Spirit  came  in  the  form 
of  a  dove.?     If  the  dove  symbolized  peace,  harmlessness,  purity,  con- 


Studies  ill  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         19 


sider  to  what  extent  such  symbolism  would  agree  with  John  the 
Baptist's  previous  conception  of  Messiahship. 

The  expression  "Son  of  God"  was  a  Messianic  title,  and  the  voice 
from  heaven  therefore  declared  Jesus  of  Nazareth  to  be  the  Messiah. 
The  sentence  might  well  be  translated,  "In  thee  have  I  been  well 
pleased."  The  statement  might  then  be  regarded  as  a  verdict  of 
approval  upon  the  thirty  years  of  life  in  Nazareth,  and  was  calculated 
to  preclude  the  idea  that  Jesus'  baptism  was  in  any  sense  a  confession 
of  sin. 

Personal  Thought :  "Thou  art  my  ^^'/ot'^^  Son."  When  the  heavens 
opened  to  the  earth,  this  voice  from  the  invisible  world  at  once  gave 
assurance  that  the  Great  Unseen  is  capable  of  love.  It  is  neither  im- 
personal force,  nor  malignant  personality,  that  invisibly  animates  all 
things.  As  you  go  out  to-day,  look  sometimes  into  the  sky  and  think 
of  the  love  of  God. 

"  And  I  have  felt 
A  presence  that  disturbs  me  with  the  joy 
Of  elevated  thoughts  ;  a  sense  sublime, 
Of  something  far  more  deeply  interfused, 
Whose  dwelling  is  the  light  of  setting  suns. 
And  the  round  ocean  and  the  living  air, 
And  the  blue  sky,  and  in  the  mind  of  man; 
A  motion  and  a  spirit,  that  impels 
All  thinking  things,  all  objects  of  all  thought, 
And  rolls  through  all  things." 

Wordsworth,  Tintern  Abbey. 


20         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  II.— ^ijtnts  3^mmcliiatclp  prrccUinff  tl)c  public  life  of 

Sixth  Day:  The  Temptation  of  the  Son  of  God.    Mark  1:12-13; 
Matt.  4:1-11;  Luke  4:1-13 

1.  Read  Mark  i:  12-13,  and  the  more  extensive  account  in  Matt. 
4:  l-ll.  The  parallel  account  in  Luke  4:  1-13  presents  the  tempta- 
tions in  another  order.  According  to  Mark  1:12,  the  conviction  that 
God  would  have  Him  be  alone  in  the  wilderness  formed  itself  in  the 
mind  of  Jesus.  What  considerations  the  Spirit  of  God  used  to  pro- 
duce this  conviction  we  can  glean  from  hints  in  the  longer  narratives  of 
Matthew  and  Luke.  It  is  significant  that  the  arguments  with  which 
Jesus  resisted  temptation  are  all  drawn  from  the  same  section  of  the 
Hebrew  Scripture.  They  are  Deut.  8:3;  6  :  16;  6  :  13.  It  is  fair  to 
suppose  that  the  general  section  of  the  Scripture  in  which  these  pas- 
sages occur  had  been  the  subject  of  Jesus'  recent  study,  and  it  is  very 
significant  that  this  general  section  presents  Moses'  ideal  of  national  life, 
given  to  the  people  just  before  they  crossed  the  Jordan.  Read  Deut. 
4:44-46;  5:1;  6:1.  Moses  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  he  received 
the  essential  features  of  this  ideal  of  national  life  during  a  period  of 
fasting  that  lasted  forty  days  and  forty  nights  (Deut.  9:  9-1 1).  It  was 
natural,  therefore,  for  Jesus  to  do  as  Moses  had  done  and  seek  a  definite 
ideal  of  national  life  in  the  new  Kingdom  during  a  fast  of  forty  days 
and  forty  nights.  This  becomes  much  more  evidently  natural  when  it 
is  remembered  that  the  Messiah  was  sometimes  thought  of  as  a  second 
Moses.      Read  Deut.  18:  17-19;  Acts  3  :  22-23. 

The  question  before  Jesus  evidently  was  this:  What  should  be  His 
Messianic  ideal  ?  What  kind  of  Kingdom  would  His  Father  have  Him 
establish  .^  Consider  just  here  the  following  questions :  What  is  temp- 
tation ?  Was  there  real  temptation  here  ?  Remember  that  the  his- 
tory of  Jesus'  experience  at  this  time  could  have  become  known  only 
through  His  own  report  of  it,  and  consider  the  bearing  of  this  fact  upon 
the  question  of  the  reality  of  this  temptation. 

2.  Jesus'  later  teaching  reveals  the  fact  that  He  was  in  the  habit  of 
presenting  His  thought  in  enigmatic  and  parabolic  form.  This  is  evi- 
dently the  case  in  His  report  of  these  temptations.  What  did  the  first 
temptation  really  consist  in  ?  What  was  it  that  He  felt  tempted  to  do, 
but  decided  not  to  do  ?  The  answer  to  this  question  is  best  discovered 
by  noticing  the  character  of  His  answer,  for  His  answer  will  reveal  the 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         ii 


point  at  which  the  temptation  really  touched  Him.  His  answer  shows 
that  He  felt  tempted  to  consider  the  life  of  man  as  consisting  in  some- 
thing else  than  words  from  God's  mouth  (Matt.  4:4),  that  is,  some- 
thing else  than  friendly  intercourse  with  God.  He  felt  tempted  to 
make  the  life  of  the  new  Kingdom  consist  in  physical  comforts  for  dis- 
tressed men.  Jesus'  strongly  sympathetic  nature  suffered  when  He 
saw  hungry  people.  Read,  for  instance,  Mark  8:2.  He  must  have 
been  strongly  tempted,  as  the  Messiah,  to  give  instantaneous  relief  to 
all  the  hungry  and  all  the  suffering,  but  He  saw  that  God's  ideal  for 
His  Kingdom  was  a  higher  one.  It  involved  the  bringing  of  men  into 
friendly  intercourse  with  God,  no  matter  how  long  it  might  take,  and 
in  this  way  securing  a  race  of  brotherly  men  among  whom  there  would 
be  no  longer  hunger  and  suffering.  He  would  not  simply  treat  the 
symptoms  of  the  disease,  but  would  by  a  longer  process  remove  the 
deep-seated  disease  that  caused  the  symptoms.  His  temptation, 
then,  was  not  simply  to  satisfy  His  own  hunger.  But  if  He  could  not 
be  trusted  to  keep  from  turning  stones  into  bread  for  Himself  when 
hungry,  much  less  could  He  be  trusted  to  keep  from  doing  this  to 
satisfy  the  hunger  of  others.  The  supreme  aim  of  His  Kingdom 
should  be,  not  first  and  chiefly  physical  comforts  for  men,  though 
these  were  involved  ("not  by  bread  alone").  He  did  sometimes  give 
bread  to  the  hungry,  and  He  healed  the  sick  to  show  that  physical 
comforts  were  to  be  incidental  features  of  the  New  Order.  But  the 
supreme  feature  of  the  Kingdom  and  the  source  of  all  other  features 
would  be  friendship  with  God  and  man.  There  should  be  a  race  of 
brotherly  sons  of  God. 

Personal  Thought :  If  you  had  Messianic  power  what  would  you 
make  your  life  consist  in  .?  In  your  anticipation  of  life  is  it  friendships, 
or  a  comfortable  home  and  plenty  of  physical  comforts  to  which  you 
find  yourself  looking  forward  ? 


22         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  II. — (ttcnts  STntmcUiatcIp  prcceHinff  tl)e  public  Life  of 

Seventh  Day:   The  Temptation  of  the  Son  of  God  (concluded). 
Mark  1:12-13;  Matt.  4:  i-ii;  Luke  4: 1-13 

1.  Jesus  reported  that  He  was  for  a  time  tempted  in  another  way  to 
adopt  a  Messianic  policy  different  from  the  one  given  Him  by  His 
Father.  Read  Matt.  4 :  5-7.  What  Jesus  was  here  tempted  to  do 
would  have  appealed  powerfully  to  the  nation.  To  have  appeared 
before  them  at  the  center  of  national  worship  with  dash  and  brilliance, 
miraculously  set  down  among  them  by  Jehovah  Himself,  in  Jehovah's 
courts,  would  have  been  to  secure  instantaneous  acceptance.  That 
which  Jesus  felt  would  have  been  wrong  in  this  course  is  indi- 
cated by  the  character  of  His  reply.  It  would  have  been  pushing 
ahead  of  God  to  test  Him  and  see  how  far  God  would  sustain  Him  in 
making  unbidden  Messianic  demonstrations.  Instead,  Jesus  felt  that 
the  only  course  for  Him  was  to  wait  for  God  to  take  the  initiative. 
As  the  Gospel  narrative  goes  on  it  becomes  evident  that  God  had  not 
planned  to  have  His  Messiah  rely  on  official  prestige  to  win  a  follow- 
ing; for  many  months  He  carefully  concealed  His  Messiahship  from 
the  nation.  He  did,  however,  slowly  reveal  certain  qualities  of  per- 
sonal character  that  have  commanded  the  attention  of  men  ever  since. 
He  became  a  revelation  of  God  that  the  world  has  never  exhausted. 
If  the  leap  from  the  temple  top  to  the  pavement  had  been  the  demon- 
stration of  His  Messiahship,  He  would  not  seem  to  the  world  to-day 
the  incarnation  of  the  character  of  God,  as  He  does.  Several  subor- 
dinate questions  arise  here.  For  instance,  Did  Jesus  actually  go  to 
Jerusalem  ?  Consider  whether  Luke  4 :  5  throws  any  light  on  this 
point.  Did  the  devil  actually  appear  to  Him,  or  did  these  sugges- 
tions arise  in  His  mind  and  were  they  attributed  by  Him  to  the  devil 
when  He  saw  their  evil  import  ? 

2.  He  reports  a  third  temptation  to  His  disciples.  Read  Matt.  4: 
8-10.  If  we  continue  to  look  to  Jesus'  answer  for  the  indication  of 
what  it  was  that  He  felt  tempted  to  do,  it  would  seem  that  He  felt 
tempted  to  secure  an  ultimate  good  by  a  temporary  compromise 
with  evil.  Perhaps  He  thought,  as  the  church  has  sometimes  since 
thought,  that  He  could  first  conquer  by  force  of  arms  and  then 
convert.  Such  a  military  career  would  certainly  have  met  the 
popular  expectation.      In   opposition   to  this   idea   Jesus   proposed 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         23 


simply  to  do  right  at  the  moment,  to  worship  God,  and  God  only,  each 
moment. 

3.  It  is  not  easy  to  ascertain  from  the  parabolic  form  in  which  Jesus 
has  reported  His  experience  just  what  processes  of  thought  He  passed 
through  during  these  six  weeks.  Very  likely  He  experienced  depths 
and  heights  of  temptation  that  He  could  not  explain  even  to  His  dis- 
ciples, but  He  made  it  clear  to  them  that  He  was  tempted,  and  very 
probably  tempted  as  fiercely  as  any  man  ever  has  been,  or  ever  will  be, 
by  temptations  commensurate  with  His  great  nature. 

What  experience  do  you  think  He  meant  to  describe  by  the  last 
clause  in  Mark  i  :  13  ?  The  word  "minister"  sometimes  means  to 
serve  food  (cf.  Mark  i  :  31).  The  allusion  to  the  wild  beasts  seems  to 
be  Mark's  vivid,  concrete  way  of  indicating  the  wildness  of  the  spot. 

Personal  Thought :  If  you  are  a  tempted  man,  remember  that  Jesus 
Christ  knows  how  it  feels  to  be  tempted,  that  He  knows  how  to  resist, 
and  that  He  wills,  from  the  vantage  ground  of  His  victory,  to  help  you 
resist.  "Wherefore  it  behoved  Him  in  all  things  to  be  made  like  unto 
His  brethren,  that  He  might  be  a  merciful  and  faithful  high  priest  in 
things  pertaining  to  God,  to  make  propitiation  for  the  sins  of  the  peo- 
ple. ¥ov  in  that  He  Himself  hath  suffered,  being  tempted.  He  is  able 
to  succor  them  that  are  tempted."  (Heb.  2  :  17,  18).  "Having  then 
a  great  high  priest,  who  hath  passed  through  the  heavens,  Jesus  the 
Son  of  God,  let  us  hold  fast  our  confession.  For  we  have  not  a  high 
priest  that  cannot  be  touched  with  the  feeling  of  our  infirmities;  but 
one  that  hath  been  in  all  points  tempted  like  as  we  are,  yet  without 
sin.  Let  us  therefore  draw  near  with  boldness  unto  the  throne  of 
grace,  that  we  may  receive  mercy,  and  may  find  grace  to  help  us  in  time 
of  need."     (Heb.  4:  14-16.) 


24         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  lU.—^t6nti  in  (Salilrc  act  propI)et-|)ealer 

First  Day:    Jesus'  Early  Public  Work  Assumed,  but  not 
Recorded,  by  Mark.     John  1:35-4:54 

Does  Mark  1:14  suggest  an  interval  of  unrecorded  activity  be- 
tvs7een  the  close  of  the  six  weeks'  temptation  (i:  13)  and  the  imprison- 
ment of  John  the  Baptist  ?  Does  the  readiness  of  the  four  men  to 
attach  themselves  to  Jesus  in  Mark  1 :  16-20  imply  a  previous  acquaint- 
ance? Mark  l  :  21  indicates  that  Jesus  had  already  become  a  well- 
known  public  character.  Why  Mark,  Matthew,  and  Luke  do  not 
describe  this  period  of  earlier  activity  is  not  entirely  clear.  It  is  gen- 
erally supposed  that  John  I  :  35-4 :  54  describes  it.  These  chapters 
will  be  taken  up  in  detailed  study  later.  Read  them  rapidly  now  in 
order  to  see  their  general  drift,  and  as  you  read  them  notice  whether 
they  contain  any  evidence  of  Jesus'  recent  struggle  with  temptation. 
For  instance,  Do  you  see  in  the  first  paragraph  of  the  second  chapter 
any  reminiscence  of  His  second  temptation  (Matt.  4 :  5-7),  any  un- 
readiness to  push  ahead  and  exercise  Messianic  power  without  waiting 
for  His  Father's  direction  I  Is  there  anything  in  the  last  paragraph 
of  chapter  4  which  suggests  the  first  temptation,  which  shows  Jesus' 
unreadiness  to  make  His  Messianic  mission  consist  chiefly  in  removing 
physical  ailments  ?  Is  there  anything  in  these  chapters  that  shows 
what  Jesus  proposed  to  Himself  as  the  chief  object  of  His  Messianic 
endeavor  ? 

Personal  Thought:  Jesus  appears  in  these  chapters  moving  out 
among  men  with  shrewd  insight  into  their  characters  and  profound 
sympathy  with  their  needs.  They  could  not  impose  upon  Him  (2: 
23-25),  their  secret  sins  and  needs  did  not  escape  Him  (4:17-19). 
His  successful  battle  with  temptation  had  established  in  Him  a  living 
hope  to  which  He  would  now  bring  them.  You  have  no  sin  or  need 
that  can  evade  Him.  "Whence  knowest  thou  me.?"  we  may  say,  as 
did  Nathanael;  "I  have  seen  thee,"  He  will  say  to  us  as  He  did  to 
him.  And  He  has  seen  us  through  and  through.  All  the  undiscovered 
weakness  of  our  fancied  strength,  and  all  the  latent  possibilities  of  our 
distrusted  weakness  are  known  to  Him. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ        25 


Study  III.— S'esttEi  in  (Galilee  as  |)rap|)et=]^ealer 

Second  Day:    General  Themes  of  Jesus'  Prophetic  Message  in 
Galilee.     Mark  i :  14-15 

Jesus  had  found  men  unready  for  Him  at  the  capital.  He  had 
not  been  able  to  trust  men  there  with  any  declaration  of  His  Messiah- 
ship  (John  2  :  24).  To  only  one  man  had  He  been  able  to  speak  even 
vaguely  of  His  Messiahship  (chap.  3).  In  the  country  districts  they 
were  more  ready  to  hear  about  the  Kingdom  of  God  (3  :  22-26),  and  a 
group  of  villagers  among  the  Samaritan  half-breed  Jews  (chap.  4) 
were  ready  even  to  hear  about  His  Messiahship.  Now  He  comes 
back  from  Judaea  to  try  the  less  ecclesiastical  Galileans.  Read  Mark 
I  :  14-15,  which  contains  a  summary  of  the  themes  upon  which  Jesus 
made  addresses  in  the  synagogues  and  market-places  throughout  the 
northern  province.  Do  you  remember  anything  in  John  3  :  26-4 :  3 
which  indicates  why  Jesus  should  wait  until  John's  imprisonment 
before  beginning  His  campaign  in  Galilee  f 

What  did  the  phrase  "gospel  of  God,"  or  "God's  good  news,"  mean 
to  the  men  and  women  in  the  synagogues  of  Galilee  ?  Did  it  include 
an  announcement  by  Jesus  that  He  was  the  Messiah  ?  In  answering 
this  question  cf.  Mark  3  :  11-12;  8  :  27-30.  We  can  scarcely  imagine 
what  a  furor  of  discussion  these  statements  would  have  produced  in 
Galilee.  For  what  was  the  "time  fulfilled"  .?  The  Kingdom  of  God 
was,  as  has  been  previously  stated,  somewhat  vaguely  conceived,  yet  in 
the  main  it  was  thought  of  as  a  political  organization  of  righteous  Jews 
to  be  administered  by  Jehovah  in  the  person  of  His  Messiah,  which 
would  destroy  or  annex  all  other  nations.  It  seems  to  have  been  ex- 
pected also  that  the  righteous  dead  would  appear  in  this  era.  The 
establishment  of  the  Kingdom  would  be  preceded  by  the  Messiah's 
judgment.  Did  believing  in  the  "Good  News"  involve  anything 
more  than  intellectual  assent .? 

Personal  Thought:  The  call  for  repentance  in  view  of  the  nearness 
of  the  Kingdom  of  God  is  as  insistent  to-day  as  it  was  of  old.  Put  into 
modern  phraseology  it  reads:  Jesus  is  introducing  a  New  Order  among 
men;  quit  all  wrongdoing  and  be  ready  for  your  part  in  it.  The 
language  is  not  a  mere  threat;  it  is  a  call  to  prepare  for  a  great  oppor- 
tunity. Irresistible  social  forces  are  fast  hurrying  to  a  crisis.  The 
New  Order  is  being  introduced  in  city  and  village,  farm  and  factory, 
and  each  calls  for  men  of  the  New  Order. 


i6         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  III.— ^Tcaus  in  ©alilce  sg  ptop^ct=|)calcr 

Third  Day:    The  Finding  of  the  Four  Galilean  Disciples. 
Mark  1:16-20;  Matt.  4: 18-22;  Luke  5:1-11 

1.  Read  Mark  i  :  16-20,  and  compel  your  imagination  to  produce 
for  you  phrase  by  phrase  the  picture  described  in  the  text.  Form  the 
habit  of  doing  this  in  all  your  reading  of  these  vivid  descriptions.  If 
we  are  right  in  making  the  events  of  John  1-4  precede  this  scene,  these" 
men  do  not  now  for  the  first  time  attach  themselves  to  Jesus.  It  is  a 
familiar  form  that  they  see  as  they  lift  their  eyes  from  their  work  and  a 
well-known  voice  that  they  hear.  Very  probably  the  relation  between 
Jesus  and  these  men  is  to  be  more  intimate  than  at  an  earlier  time. 

These  men  were  probably  not  fish  peddlers  going  from  door  to  door 
with  their  daily  catch,  but  fish  packers  preparing  cured  or  pickled  fish 
for  the  market.  What  hint  is  there  in  v.  20  of  a  somewhat  extensive 
business .'' 

2.  Jesus  speaks  to  them  in  His  favorite  enigmatical  style  of  utter- 
ance (v.  17).  What  does  this  half  humorous,  yet  profoundly  serious, 
sentence  reveal  regarding  the  great  interest  that  mastered  the  mind 
of  Jesus  .''  That  is,  what  was  Jesus'  chief  concern  at  this  time  as  He 
passed  from  province  to  province,  from  city  to  city  .'' 

In  all  this  study  one  needs  to  form  the  habit  of  asking,  "What  actu- 
ally happened  V  though  many  times,  as  in  all  thorough  investigation, 
he  may  not  be  able  at  once  to  answer  the  question.  What  do  you  sup- 
pose these  men  actually  began  to  do  in  the  days  immediately  following 
this  invitation  of  Jesus  .''  One  would  be  glad  to  know  the  home  life, 
the  religious  outlook,  the  aspirations  and  enthusiasms  of  well-disposed 
young  Galileans  like  these  fish  packers.  Information  on  these  points 
can  only  be  slowly  gathered,  and  we  must  be  content  to  work  ourselves 
down  into  the  situation  as  fast  as  we  are  able.  What  did  it  probably 
mean  to  them  to  be  "fishers  of  men"?  Did  they  at  this  time  con- 
sider Jesus  to  be  the  Messiah  .'' 

Personal  Thought:  Jesus  said,  "Come  ye  after  me  and  I  will  make 
you  to  become  fishers  of  men."  Evidently  it  was  to  be  His  policy  to 
link  their  lives  in  with  His  own  and  to  do  something  to  these  lives  that 
would  give  them  influence  over  others.  To  mean  something  good  to 
some  other  life  is  an  instinctive  ambition  of  every  normal  life.  Have 
you  ever  definitely  and  unreservedly  put  yourself  into  the  hands  of 
Jesus  to  have  Him  do  His  utmost  to  make  you  a  power  for  good  in 
other  lives  ? 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         27 


Study  III.— ^tSttS  in  (Galilee  us  propbct-^caltt 

Fourth  Day  :  Jesus  Manifests  the  Authority  of  a  Prophet  in  the 
Capernaum  Synagogue.     Mark  1:21-28;  Luke  4:31-37 

Read  Mark  i  :  21-28.  Capernaum  was  one  of  the  ten  or  twelve 
busy  towns  that  clustered  around  the  beautiful  little  Galilean  lake. 
The  synagogue  was  the  central  institution  of  a  Jewish  community. 
The  law  of  Moses  was  taught  there  on  the  Sabbath  and  administered 
there  on  week-days;  it  was  a  meeting-house  on  the  Sabbath  and  a 
police  court  on  week-days.  Read  Matt.  10:  17.  The  "scribes,"  or 
students  of  the  law  of  Moses,  who  usually  spoke,  made  their  exposi- 
tions of  the  law  consist  largely  in  the  citation  of  decisions  of  great 
rabbis:  "Rabbi  So-and-so  says  the  law  forbids  this  and  allows  that." 
Jesus  preached  an  entirely  new  type  of  sermon,  perhaps  in  the  gen- 
eral fashion  of  the  address  reported  in  Matt.  5-7.  What  was  prob- 
ably the  subject  of  His  address  .''  What  does  Mark  i :  22  mean  ? 
See  especially  Matt.  5:  20-22,  27-28,  31-34,  38-39,  43-44.  Jesus  seems 
to  have  spoken  like  a  prophet  after  a  long  period  in  which  no  great 
prophet's  voice  had  been  heard  in  the  nation. 

The  surprises  of  that  Sabbath  service  did  not  end  with  the  style  of 
the  address  A  demoniac  disturbed  the  pubhc  service  by  crying  out 
against  the  prophet  as  "God's  Holy  One,"  apparently  recognizing  in 
Him  the  Messiah  who  at  His  judgment  would  send  all  evil  spirits  to 
their  own  places.  Jesus  quietly  commanded  the  evil  spirit  in  the 
demoniac  to  be  silent  and  leave  the  man.  The  demoniac  shrieked, 
went  into  a  convulsion,  and  then  became  quiet  and  sane.  We  shall  be 
better  able  to  consider  exactly  what  ailed  this  poor  man  when  we  have 
seen  other  similar  cases  in  the  subsequent  narrative.  Whatever  the 
matter  with  him  was,  the  main  thing  is  that  Jesus  was  able  at  once  to 
bring  his  disordered  personality  into  quiet  rationality  and  restore  him 
to  home  and  society.  It  was  a  great  day  for  this  nameless  man  and 
his  friends! 

Personal  Thought:  "Even  the  unclean  spirits  obey  Him."  There 
was  that  in  Jesus'  personality  which  compelled  obedience,  albeit 
unwilling  and  unmeritorious  obedience.  Have  you  such  a  sense  of 
Jesus'  majestic  authority  as  to  make  His  word  your  law  ?  He  is  not 
the  mild-mannered,  sad,  suffering  Messiah  He  is  sometimes  travestied 
as  being,  although  He  knew  sorrow  beyond  every  other  man's  sorrow. 
He  is  a  regnant,  authoritative  Lord  to  whom  your  glad  obedience  is 
due.     Ask  Him  to  order  your  life  this  day. 


28         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  III.— ^Tcfius  in  (Salilce  as  |J)ropI)ct=|)eaIct 

Fifth  Day:    The  Wonderful  Healings  in  Capernaum.     Mark 
1:29-34;  Matt.  8:14-17;  Luke  4:38-41 

1.  Read  with  active  imagination  Mark  1:29-31.  This  incident 
was  one  of  great  personal  interest  to  Peter,  from  whose  reminiscences 
of  his  Lord  Mark  drew  material  for  his  Gospel. 

2.  Read  Mark  i :  32-34.  According  to  their  ideas  of  Sabbath  keep- 
ing it  would  have  seemed  scandalous  to  have  appeared  in  the  streets 
carrying  a  sick  person  on  the  Sabbath.  But  at  sunset  the  Sab- 
bath ended  and  the  streets  filled  with  people.  Imagine  the  scene 
pictured  in  v.  33 — old  and  young,  parents  and  children,  shrieking 
demoniacs  and  anxious  friends.  Read  Luke  4 :  40-41  and  note  the 
detail  added  regarding  Jesus'  method  of  healing.  What  made  them 
think  that  Jesus  could  heal  the  sick .''  Does  this  presuppose  any 
period  of  activity  on  the  part  of  Jesus  not  recorded  in  this  Gospel .'' 

The  demoniacs  are  said  to  have  recognized  that  He  was  the  Messiah 
(v.  34)  as  the  man  in  the  synagogue  in  the  morning  had  dofie.  Why 
did  Jesus  object  to  their  announcing  His  Messiahship  ?  Does  this 
statement  in  v.  34  indicate  whether  or  not  people  in  general  at  this 
time  thought  Him  to  be  the  Messiah  ? 

3.  Following  this  evening  of  wonderful  and  numerous  cures  in  the 
Capernaum  street,  we  find  Jesus  doing  a  characteristic  thing.  In  the 
morning,  before  the  stars  had  faded  out  of  the  sky  above  the  lake,  He 
stole  out  of  the  house  and  went  to  a  quiet  spot  outside  of  the  city  to 
pray.  Probably  some  of  the  servants  saw  which  way  He  went,  for 
Peter,  in  whose  house  He  slept  (v.  29),  soon  found  Him.  The  ques- 
tion to  be  asked  with  reverence,  and  answered  only  partially,  is  this: 
What  did  Jesus  pray  about .?  In  His  prayer  did  His  mind  turn  back 
to  the  experiences  of  the  last  evening,  or  look  forward  to  the  weeks  just 
before  Him  ?  Did  the  work  of  healing  make  draughts  upon  His 
spiritual  force  which  prayer  recuperated  I  Or  did  He  sufi^er  at  the 
sight  of  so  much  sickness  and  despair  ?  Was  He  tempted  to  make  His 
whole  ministry  one  of  physical  relief.?  One  need  not  be  disturbed  by 
finding  that  he  can  answer  these  questions  only  partially  or  tentatively. 

Personal  Thought :  These  were  busier  days  than  any  we  shall  ever 
spend.  If  Jesus  found  it  necessary  to  take  time  for  prayer  before 
beginning  the  work  of  the  day,  is  it  at  all  likely  that  we  can  safely  dis- 
pense with  it  ? 


Studies  in  the  Life,  of  Jesus  Christ         29 


Study  III.— ^festts  in  Galilee  as  prop^ct-^caler 

Sixth  Day:  The  Popular  Campaign  throughout  the  Entire  Prov- 
ince of  Galilee.  Mark  1:35-45;  Matt.  4:23,  8:2-4;  Luke 
4:42-5:16 

1.  Read  Mark  1:35-39.  The  crowds  that  had  gathered  in  the 
street  at  Peter's  door  on  the  evening  before  began  to  re-assemble 
the  next  morning,  and  the  four  companions  of  Jesus  reported  this  to 
Him  (v.  ^"j),  but  they  found  that  He  did  not  propose  to  go  back.  Why 
did  He  not  go  back  to  heal  more  sick  people  in  Capernaum  ? 

2.  The  province  of  Galilee  was  an  exceedingly  fertile  district,  full  of 
thrifty  towns  and  busy  people.  Its  patriotic  inhabitants  were  some- 
what excitable  by  nature  and  furnished  a  good  number  of  revolution- 
ists. "Nor  hath  the  country  been  ever  destitute  of  men  of  courage, 
or  wanted  a  numerous  set  of  them;  for  their  soil  is  universally  rich  and 
fruitful,  and  full  of  the  plantations  of  trees  of  all  sorts,  in  so  much  that 
it  invites  the  most  slothful  to  take  pains  in  its  cultivation,  by  its  fruit- 
fulness;  accordingly  it  is  all  cultivated  by  its  inhabitants,  and  no  part  of 
it  lies  idle.  Moreover,  the  cities  He  here  very  thick;  and  the  very  many 
villages  there  are  here,  are  everywhere  so  full  of  people,  by  the  richness 
of  their  soil,  that  the  very  least  of  them  contains  above  fifteen  thousand 
inhabitants." — ^Josephus,  Wars,  3:3:2. 

3.  Mark  narrates  one  striking  incident  in  this  tour  through  the 
province.  His  reason  for  mentioning  it  seems  to  be  the  fact  that  its 
occurrence  made  it  impossible  for  Jesus  to  work  in  cities  and  com- 
pelled Him  to  hold  field  meetings  (v.  45).  It  was  the  case  of  a  man 
with  leprous  spots  whose  touch  was  contamination.  In  some  way  the 
leprous  man  became  possessed  of  the  idea  that  Jesus  could  cure  him, 
and  appealed  to  Him.  The  outcast  man's  desperate  plight  aroused 
Jesus'  sympathy  (v.  41)  and  He  unhesitatingly  touched  him.  He  at 
once  sent  the  man  out  of  the  province  to  Jerusalem  to  make  the  offer- 
ing prescribed  by  law  in  cases  of  cured  leprosy.  In  v.  44  what  was 
it  that  was  the  "testimony".''  To  whom  was  it  a  testimony.?  And 
of  what  was  it  a  testimony  ? 

Personal  Thought:  "Jesus  being  moved  with  compassion."  We 
are  in  danger  of  speaking  of  Jesus'  sympathy  without  realizing  what  we 
mean.  This  leprous  man's  situation  actually  laid  hold  of  Jesus  and 
made  Him  suffer.  Jesus'  temperament  is  not  changed.  He  is  still 
affected  by  all  forms  of  human  need  and  distress. 


30         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  III.— ^fcfiUB  in  (Salilce  ag  propI)ct-||)caIcr 

Seventh  Day:   The  First  Offence  to  the  Rabbis  in  Jesus'  Relig- 
ious Views.     Mark  2:  1-12:  Matt.  9:  2-8:  Luke  5:  17-26 

1.  The  account  of  the  popular  tour  through  the  province  of  Galilee 
closed  with  multitudes  streaming  up  from  every  quarter  to  Jesus'  field 
meetings  (i :  45).  In  chap.  2  we  begin  to  hear  a  note  of  discontent. 
Before  taking  up  the  incident  in  detail,  read  Mark  2:  1-12.  Deter- 
mine exactly  what  it  was  in  Jesus'  conduct  that  offended  the  rabbis. 
Notice  that  according  to  Luke  5:  17  these  rabbis  constituted  a  com- 
mittee of  inspection  sent  from  various  parts  of  the  country,  and  that 
they  were  present  by  a  preconcerted  arrangement. 

Did  Jesus'  announcement  that  the  man's  sins  were  forgiven  mean 
anything  more  than,  "If  you  have  repented,  I  am  sure  God  has  for- 
given your  sins"?  Anyone  could  have  told  the  man  that.  Jesus 
assumed  to  be  able  to  look  down  into  the  man's  heart  and  to  see 
whether  he  had  repented.  This  was  really,  therefore,  an  exercise  of  the 
same  power  that  is  requisite  for  a  Messianic  judgment,  and  the  rabbis 
were  shrewd  enough  to  see  it,  though  the  crowd  did  not  think  much 
beyond  the  wonder  of  the  cure  (v.  12). 

2.  Now  take  up  the  paragraph  in  detail.  There  is  no  space  here 
to  describe  the  structure  of  an  oriental  house,  which  makes  the  details 
of  the  incident  intelligible.  Picture  the  four  men  peering  down 
through  the  opening  they  have  made  in  the  tile  roof,  looking  expec- 
tantly at  Jesus  and  their  invalid  friend  lying  on  his  rug  at  Jesus'  feet. 
Why  did  Jesus  first  speak  to  him  about  his  sins .''  Was  the  man 
troubled  about  them,  and  did  he  connect  his  paralysis  with  his  sins  .'' 
Cf.  John  9  :  2.  What  was  it  in  view  of  which  Jesus  undertook  to  help 
the  man  .?  See  v.  5.  Who  are  included  in  the  plural  pronoun  "their"  ? 
Write  out  the  best  oflF-hand  definition  of  "faith"  you  can  on  the  basis 
of  the  present  instance.  Did  their  faith  include  the  conviction  that 
Jesus  was  the  Messiah  ? 

Personal  Thought :  Faith  in  Jesus  is  an  attitude  toward  His  person. 
Its  beginning  may  be  induced  by  information  about  Him.  Others 
may  help  to  secure  a  meeting,  but  ultimately  the  man  and  Jesus  stand 
face  to  face.  The  heart  goes  out  in  humble  good-will  to  Jesus,  rejoices 
in  all  that  Jesus  increasingly  reveals  Himself  to  be,  and  adjusts  itself  to 
all  that  Jesus  in  love  demands  of  it.  It  is  to  develop  this  disposition 
that  one  brings  himself  daily  to  the  conscious  facing  of  Jesus  Christ. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ        31 


Study  IV.— ^TcSUfi  in  (Snllltt  as  |)topl)Ct=^ealcr  {Continued) 

First  Day:  The  First  Offence  to  the  Rabbis  in  Jesus'  Religious 
Views  (concluded).    Mark  2:1-12;  Matt.  9 :  2-8;  Luke  5 :  17-26 

1.  The  true  insight  into  the  invalid's  heart  which  enabled  Jesus  to 
see  that  he  was  penitent  and  to  assure  him  that  he  was  forgiven  enabled 
Him  to  see  the  critical  hearts  of  the  delegation  of  rabbis.  Jesus 
proved  to  them  that  He  could  look  into  the  heart  of  the  paralytic  by 
showing  them  what  He  could  do  to  the  body  of  the  paralytic.  He  so 
wrought  upon  the  man,  mind  and  body,  that  the  man  willed  to  rise  and 
did  rise,  roll  up  his  sleeping  rug,  and  make  his  way  through  the  mar- 
veling crowds  to  the  street  outside,  where  his  four  friends  had  doubt- 
less hurried  down  from  the  house-top  to  meet  him.  We  turn  the  situ- 
ation about  and  find  ourselves  ready  to  believe  that  Jesus  did  so  affect 
the  bodies  of  men  in  view  of  the  experience  men  have  since  had  of  His 
power  to  affect  their  spiritual  natures.  Do  the  crowds  seem  to  have 
inferred  from  this  incident  that  Jesus  was  the  Messiah,  or  do  they  still 
think  of  Him  as  a  great  prophet-healer }  On  this  point  read  also 
Matt.  9  :  8  and  Luke  5  :  26. 

2.  Jesus  here  for  the  first  time  applies  to  Himself  the  title  "Son  of 
Man."  No  one  else  ever  applied  this  title  to  Him  except  Stephen, 
Acts  7  :  56.  It  seems  to  have  been  a  title  that  probably  suggested 
Messiahship  but  did  not  assert  it.  Such  suggestion  would  be  due  to 
its  use  in  Dan.  7  :  14,  where  the  phrase  is  "a  Son  of  Man"  (R.  V.,  not 
"the  Son  of  Man").  Read  Dan.  7  :  13-23,  and  ascertain  whether  the 
title  there  designates  the  person  of  the  Messiah  or  the  Kingdom  of  God. 
That  Jesus  did  not  suppose  the  title  would  be  understood  by  the  people 
to  be  an  assertion  of  Messiahship  is  evident  from  Mark  8  :  27-30. 

Personal  Thought:  "Son,  be  of  good  cheer;  thy  sins  are  forgiven" 
(Matt.  9  :  2).  His  nerveless  limbs  and  his  accusing  conscience  were 
giving  him  little  occasion  for  "good  cheer,"  but  a  few  minutes  later  he 
was  elbowing  his  way  through  the  crowd  with  a  heart  bursting  with 
good  cheer.  The  Christian  who  has  been  introduced  by  Jesus  Christ 
to  infinite  resources  of  hope  and  good  cheer  in  the  universe  should 
realize  it.  Realize  to-day  the  endless  outlook  that  is  yours  by  virtue 
of  Jesus'  statement  to  you:  "  Be  of  good  cheer,  your  sins  are  forgiven." 


32         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  IW.—'^ttinti  in  (Salilec  as  |)ropI)ct--|)caltT  (Continue J) 

Second  Day:   The  Second  Offence  to  the  Rabbis  in  Jesus'  Relig- 
ious Views.     Mark  2:  13-17;  Matt.  9:  9-13;  Luke  5:  27-32 

In  Mark's  swiftly  moving  panorama  new  characters  now  appear 
on  the  scene.  The  so-called  "sinners"  were  the  submerged  tenth  who 
no  longer  cared  to  attend  the  synagogue  services  or  to  please  the  rabbis. 
The  "publicans"  were  persons  who  were  ready  to  make  money  out  of 
the  political  humiliation  of  their  nation  by  collecting  the  taxes  im- 
posed by  the  Roman  authorities  or  the  Herods.  The  "Pharisees"  or 
"Separatists"  were  strictly  religious  people  who  "separated"  them- 
selves scrupulously  from  all  irreligious  people,  foreigners  or  Jews. 
They  were  the  spiritual  descendants  of  those  who,  two  centuries  be- 
fore, had  successfully  resisted  the  effort  of  the  Syrian  kings  to  abolish 
Jehovah  worship  and  introduce  Greek  civilization.  The  "rabbis"  or 
"scribes"  who  cared  enough  about  the  law  to  give  their  lives  to  its 
study  naturally  came  most  largely  from  the  Pharisees,  and  are  there- 
fore called  "scribes  of  the  Pharisees"  (Mark  2  :  16).  The  contempt 
of  the  rabbis  for  the  publican  and  the  sinner  was  very  great.  The 
rabbis  were  particularly  unwilling  to  eat  at  a  publican's  or  sinner's 
table,  for  these  classes  were  certain  to  disregard  food  laws  about  which 
the  rabbi  was  scrupulously  particular. 

It  was  therefore  a  scandalous  thing,  from  the  rabbis'  standpoint, 
when  a  prophet  actually  invited  a  publican  to  associate  intimately  with 
him  as  a  member  of  the  inner  circle  of  his  disciples.  Read  Mark  2  : 
13-17  carefully,  with  appreciation  of  the  situation  described.  Was  it 
probable  that  Jesus  and  the  publican  Levi  had  known  each  other  before 
this  day  when  Jesus  asked  him  to  leave  his  office  ?  Notice  the  other 
and  better  known  name  of  this  man  in  Matt.  9  :  9.  Matthew,  who 
was  probably  a  well-to-do  person,  gave  a  great  banquet  to  Jesus  in 
celebration  of  this  call  to  join  the  inner  circle  of  disciples.  Note  who 
were  there  and  imagine  the  scandal  (Luke  5  :  29-30)!  The  rabbis 
tried  to  use  this  event  as  a  means  of  stirring  up  dissension  among  Jesus' 
followers  (Mark  2  :  16),  and  in  defence  of  His  action  Jesus  uttered  His 
great  apologetic  in  v.  17.  Give  a  careful  answer  to  this  question: 
What  was  Jesus'  view  of  the  irreligious  classes  of  His  day  ? 

Personal  Thought :  Jesus  always  enlarges  the  lives  of  His  disciples. 
If  Matthew  had  said  "No"  that  eventful  day  he  might  have  lived  and 
died  an  unknown  customs  officer.  Jesus  enabled  him  to  present  a 
Gospel  to  the  world. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         ;^2 


Study  IV. — ^tdttS  in  (0aUIec  as;  |)ropl^et=|)eaIer  (Continue J) 

Third  Day  :   The  Third  Offence  to  the  Rabbis  in  Jesus'  Religious 
Views.     Mark  2: 18-22;  Matt.  9: 14-17;  Luke  5:  33-39 

1.  The  rabbis  hoped  to  induce  all  truly  religious  people  to  fast  on 
Mondays  and  Thursdays.  Hear  the  Pharisee  brag  in  Luke  18:11-12. 
The  wilderness  prophet,  John  the  Baptist,  was  ambitious  to  have  his 
disciples  fast.  But  here  again  Jesus  seemed  scandalously  lax.  Read 
Mark  2  :  18-22.  Who  complained  of  Jesus'  laxness  ?  Cf.  Matt.  9  : 
14.  In  reply  to  this  criticism  Jesus  used  three  illustrations.  The  first 
is  in  w.  19-20.  Determine  what  the  point  of  the  illustration  is,  re- 
membering that  tho  "sons  of  the  bride  chamber"  were  a  committee 
of  young  men  whose  duty  it  was  to  keep  things  lively  during  the 
wedding  week  and  to  see  that  everybody  had  a  jolly  time.  To  what 
event  does  v.  20  obscurely  allude  I  This  is  the  earliest  allusion  of  the 
sort  in  the  Gospel. 

2.  The  second  illustration  is  in  v.  21.  The  figure  is  that  of  an 
unshrunk  patch  put  on  an  old  shrunken  garment.  At  the  first  wash- 
ing the  patch  would  shrink  and  tear  away  from  the  old  garment.  If 
the  old  garment  represented  the  system  of  religious  observances,  of 
which  fasting  was  one,  what  would  the  rabbis  naturally  think  that 
Jesus  proposed  to  do  with  the  whole  system  ?  That  is,  what  would 
He  probably  recommend  to  do  with  the  old  worn-out  garment .? 
While  the  meaning  of  the  illustration  was  ambiguous,  its  possible  sig- 
nificance must  have  seemed  to  the  rabbis  very  startling. 

3.  Write  out  your  conception  of  the  meaning  of  the  third  illustration, 
in  v.  22,  remembering  that  the  skins  of  animals  were  used  for  hold- 
ing wine  and  that  fresh  skins  would  stretch  enough  to  accommodate 
themselves  to  the  fermentation  of  the  new  wine,  while  old  skins, 
already  stretched,  would  burst  when  the  fermentation  of  the  new  wine 
began.  The  rabbis  must  have  gone  away  shaking  their  heads  over  the 
suspicious  implications  of  these  illustrations! 

Personal  Thought :  One  of  the  problems  before  the  man  who  would 
keep  himself  vitally  religious  is  the  problem  of  the  proper  valuation  of 
religious  ceremonies.  Are  the  religious  ceremonies  which  you  engage 
in  real  expressions  of  your  inner  life  ? 


34         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  IV.— ^Trfiufi  in  tSaliUe  as  \}vopi)ct-^ealtv  {Continued) 

Fourth  Day:   The  Fourth  Offence  to  the  Rabbis  in  Jesus'  Relig- 
ious Views.     Mark  2:23-3:6;  Matt.  12:1-14;  Luke  6  :i-ii 

1.  The  point  at  which  the  rabbi  was  most  sensitive  was  Sabbath 
observance.  He  had  wrought  out  the  simple  Sabbath  law  of  the 
Mosaic  legislation  into  innumerable  and  sometimes  absurd  details. 
Tailors  must  not  carry  needles  on  their  coats  late  Friday  afternoon  lest 
the  sun  should  set  before  they  noticed  it  and  they  be  carr}'ing  burdens 
on  the  Sabbath;  the  physician  might  take  measures  to  prevent  a 
serious  disease  from  growing  worse  on  the  Sabbath,  but  must  not  try  to 
cure  it;  minor  ailments  might  not  be  treated  at  all.  The  rabbis  went 
so  far  as  to  say  that  God  had  created  man  for  the  sake  of  His  Sabbath 
law,  that  is,  in  order  to  have  some  one  to  obey  His  Sabbath  law.  See 
Jesus'  attitude  towards  this  view  in  Mark  2  :  27. 

2.  Jesus'  view  of  the  Sabbath  was  very  different  from  that  of  the 
rabbis.  Read  Mark  2  :  23-28,  where  an  account  is  given  of  what  the 
rabbis  would  perhaps  have  called  "harvesting  and  threshing"  the 
heads  of  wheat  or  barley.  A  most  shocking  thing  to  the  rabbis  was  the 
defence.  Read  in  I  Samuel  21  :  1-6  an  account  of  David's  action. 
The  rabbis  would  have  justified  the  action  of  David's  young  men  on 
the  ground  that  the  position  of  David  as  the  Lord's  anointed  gave  him 
and  his  young  men  a  warrant  for  doing  things  unlawful  for  ordinary 
persons.  Jesus  seemed  to  imply  that  He  was  at  least  as  great  as 
David,  and  that  His  position  warranted  His  young  men  therefore 
in  doing  things  that  the  rabbis  forbade.  He  then  proceeded  to  make 
the  startling  statement  in  v.  28.  Compare  it  with  such  statements  as 
Matt.  5  :  21-22,  etc.  Read  in  Matt.  12  : 5-6  another  illustration  used 
by  Jesus  at  this  time  and  state  its  meaning.  The  rabbis  must  have 
wondered  who  Jesus  thought  Himself  to  be!  If  the  Sabbath  was  made 
for  man,  what  is  the  contribution  that  it  was  intended  to  make  to  man's 
welfare  ?     Write  out  carefully  your  thought  on  this  point. 

Personal  Thought :  Are  your  Sabbaths  making  the  largest  and  high- 
est possible  contribution  to  your  development  ?  What  is  the  principle 
by  which  you  determine  how  you  spend  your  Sabbaths  ?  How  would 
you  modify  this  statement:  The  Sabbath  should  be  spent  in  such  a  way 
as  to  bring  us  to  Monday  morning  with  a  clearer  and  happier  sense  of 
God  and  duty? 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         35 


Study  IV.—^tsns  in  (Galilee  as  |)r0pl)ct=^ealcr  (Continued) 

Fifth  Day:  The  Fourth  Offence  to  the  Rabbis  in  Jesus' Religious 
Views  (concluded).  Mark  2:23-3:6;  Matt.  12: 1-14;  Luke 
6: i-ii 

1.  The  increasingly  bitter  feeling  against  Jesus  came  to  a  crisis  in  an 
episode  that  brought  distinctly  to  light  His  attitude  towards  the  Sab- 
bath law.  Read  Mark  3  :  1-6.  Does  the  paragraph  read  as  though 
the  man  had  been  brought  into  the  synagogue  to  see  whether  or  not 
Jesus  would  heal  him  ?  Whether  this  is  so  or  not,  evidently  the  rabbis 
knew  that  the  man  would  be  there  and  hoped  that  Jesus  would  heal 
him  so  that  they  might  make  a  test  case  of  it.  "Accuse"  in  v.  2  indi- 
cates the  lodgment  of  a  formal  charge  of  Sabbath-breaking  against  Him 
before  the  local  authorities.  Jesus  met  them  boldly,  with  no  effort  to 
evade  them.  What  evidence  of  boldness  is  there  in  this  paragraph  .'' 
What  evidence  is  there  that  Jesus  was  unusually  aroused  by  the  situa- 
tion .''  What  pertinence  was  there  in  the  last  question  of  v.  4  ?  That 
is,  who  felt  like  "killing"  anyone  ?  What  was  it  in  the  attitude  of  the 
rabbis  that  so  aroused  Jesus'  indignation  ?     That  is,  in  what  did  the 

."hardness  of  their  hearts"  consist.'' 

2.  As  soon  as  the  incident  was  over,  leading  rabbis  went  to  the 
"Herodians"  to  see  whether  legal  measures  could  be  instituted  against 
Jesus  that  would  result  in  a  trial  and  execution.  It  may  not  be  pos- 
sible to  ascertain  exactly  the  political  relationships  of  the  Herodians, 
but  clearly  enough  they  were  persons  associated  with  the  Tetrarch 
Herod.  The  rabbis  felt  that  it  would  require  the  special  help  of  the 
Tetrarch's  influence  and  power  to  dispose  of  so  popular  a  personage  as 
Jesus.  Whether  or  not  they  succeeded  in  enlisting  the  Herodians  in 
their  scheme  does  not  appear.  Herod  was  a  sly  character,  not  likely 
to  declare  himself  openly  against  so  popular  a  hero.  Read  Jesus'  com- 
ment on  him  in  Luke  13  :  31-32. 

Personal  Thought :  "It  is  lawful  to  do  good  on  the  Sabbath  day' 
(Matt.  12:  12).  The  Christian  church  has  probably  concerned  itself 
too  exclusively  with  the  negative  side  of  Sabbath  observance.  It  has 
concentrated  attention  upon  what  men  ought  not  to  do,  rather  than 
upon  what  they  ought  to  do.  Jesus  emphasizes  the  positive  side. 
They  ought  to  do  good.  Consider  again  what  opportunities  the  Sab- 
bath offers  in  your  own  case  for  doing  good  to  others.  Who  is  there 
that  you  might  help  on  the  Sabbath,  whom  you  cannot  well  help  on 
week-days  ? 


^6         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  IV.— ^Tefittg  in  (Salilce  aci  |)ropI)ct^|pcaIcr  (Continued) 

Sixth  Day:  The  Great  Popularity  of  Jesus  Outside  the  Province, 
and  the  Bold  Appointment  of  the  Twelve  Apostles.  Mark 
3:7-19;  Luke  6:12-19 

1.  Mark  3  :  7-12  is  perhaps  the  best  instance  of  Mark's  vividness  of 
style  to  be  found  in  the  entire  Gospel.  Read  it,  making  your 
imagination  produce  the  picture  for  you  verse  by  verse — the  sick 
people  and  their  friends  crowding  about  Jesus  until  He  is  nearly 
thrown  down  and  trampled  under  foot,  the  demoniacs  shrieking, 
and  the  anxious  disciples  in  the  boat.  Note  on  the  map  the 
regions  to  the  north,  east  and  south  of  the  province  from  which 
these  crowds  came.  The  streaming  of  the  people  to  Him  is  in 
startling  contrast  with  the  quick,  sharp  development  of  the  rab- 
binic hatred  in  the  paragraph  just  preceding.  What  drew  these 
crowds  to  Jesus  .''  Did  they  think  Him  to  be  the  Messiah  ?  The 
meaning  of  v.  9  is  that  in  order  to  save  Himself  from  being  trampled 
under  foot,  Jesus  had  His  disciples  keep  a  little  boat  a  few  feet  from 
shore  so  that  He  might  wade  out  to  it  and  get  in  if  the  crowd  should 
become  unmanageable.  Why  did  He  not  wish  the  demoniacs  to  make 
His  Messiahship  known  ? 

2.  At  this  time,  when  the  opposition  of  the  rabbis  was  so  bitter  and 
the  popular  feeling  so  strongly  in  His  favor,  Jesus  took  a  decisive  for- 
ward step.  He  appointed  twelve  men  to  be  especially  associated  with 
Him.  Read  Mark  3:  13-19.  This  must  have  seemed  to  the  rabbis 
a  suspicious  action.  It  looked  as  if  He  had  in  mind  the  revival  of  the 
old  twelve  tribe  division  of  the  people  which  was  popularly  expected  to 
be  a  feature  of  the  Messianic  Kingdom.  These  men  would  be  the 
twelve  heads  of  the  tribes  in  the  reorganization  of  the  nation.  Per- 
haps the  twelve  men  themselves  had  political  aspirations  raised  by  this 
circumstance.  Read  Matt.  19  :  28.  Jesus  sent  out  a  large  number  of 
personal  invitations  to  the  meeting  on  the  hill,  and  to  this  company  He 
announced  the  names  of  the  twelve  (vv.  13-14). 

Personal  Thought :  "A  great  multitude,  hearing  what  great  things 
He  did,  came  unto  Him."  It  was  the  report  made  by,  and  about, 
those  who  had  been  helped  by  Jesus  that  brought  these  crowds  to 
Him.  It  is  no  less  true  to-day,  that  the  simple,  straightforward  report 
of  benefit  received  by  those  who  have  had  to  do  with  Jesus  is  the  chief 
means  of  bringing  other  lives  under  His  influence. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ        37 


Study  IV.— STeettfi  in  (Baliltt  acf  prapl^et=|^ealer  (Continued) 

Seventh  Day:  The  Bold  Appointment  of  the  Twelve  (concluded). 
Mark  3:13-19;  Luke  6:12-19 

1.  Read  again  Mark  3  :  13-19.  Did  Jesus  appoint  these  men  be- 
cause He  had  found  them  to  be  the  best  quahfied  for  the  purpose  He 
had  in  view  ?  What  was  this  purpose  ?  What  quahties  fitted  them 
for  their  position  ?  How  was  the  new  relationship  to  differ  from  that 
which  some  of  them  had  sustained  to  Him  before  ?  Think  about  these 
questions  and  answer  them  in  writing  as  best  you  can  before  reading 
further  on  this  page. 

2.  "The"  mount  (v.  13)  seems  to  have  been  a  place  of  familiar 
resort  for  Jesus  and  His  followers.  Some  of  the  personal  qualities  of 
the  Twelve  appear  in  what  is  said  about  them  here,  though  it  is  not  cer- 
tain that  these  are  the  qualities  in  view  of  which  Jesus  selected  them. 
In  Simon  He  saw,  either  actually  or  as  a  latent  possibility,  something 
rock-like,  and  called  him  "Cephas"  in  the  popular  Aramaic,  or 
"Peter"  in  the  Greek  form  of  the  word.  Perhaps  Jesus,  who  had  been 
a  builder  by  trade,  saw  in  Simon  something  that  fitted  him  to  serve  as 
a  foundation  on  which  to  build.  Two  persons,  James  and  John, 
were  called  "Sons  of  Thunder,"  perhaps  because  of  their  intense  and 
fiery  temperaments  (Luke  9  :  52-54).  Matthew,  an  ex-customs  offi- 
cer, received  an  appointment  in  spite  of  the  agitation  among  the  rabbis 
when  Jesus  had  earlier  invited  him  to  the  less  intimate  relation  of  dis- 
cipleship.  A  man  from  the  opposite  political  extreme  also  appears  in 
this  Hst,  Simon  the  "Cananaean"  or  "Zealot"  (Luke  6:15),  a  mem- 
ber of  the  party  of  extreme  patriots  who  were  ready  even  for  fanatical 
and  revolutionary  measures  against  the  Roman  governors.  Judas,  the 
man  from  Kerioth  (Iscariot),  is  sometimes  said  on  the  strength  of  his 
surname  to  be  the  only  man  of  the  number  who  was  not  a  Galilean. 
There  was  a  Kerioth  in  Judah  (Joshua  15 :  25).  It  was  these  men,  rather 
than  any  of  the  rabbis,  that  Jesus  trusted  to  receive  the  impression 
of  His  personality  and  transmit  it  to  the  world.     Cf.  Luke  10 :  21. 

3.  Notice  in  Luke  6:12  how  Jesus  spent  the  night  before  the  an- 
nouncement of  the  Twelve.  Was  He  revising  the  list .''  What  do  you 
imagine  to  have  been  the  subject  of  His  prayer  ? 

Personal  Thought :  "That  they  might  be  with  Him."  It  was  upon 
continuous  personal  association  with  these  men  that  Jesus  relied  as  the 
means  of  accomplishing  His  purpose  for  and  through  them.  It  is  this  in- 
fluence that  may  be  felt  and  perpetuated  by  every  disciple  in  every  age. 


38         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  V.— ^fecttfi  in  (Salilcc  ad  Prop()ct=|)eaIcr  {Continued) 

First  Day:   Jesus'  Address  on  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  and  Its 
Righteousness.     Matt.  5-7 

1.  Matthew,  who  records  far  more  of  Jesus'  teaching  than  does 
Mark,  evidently  felt  that  in  the  beginning  of  his  Gospel  there  should 
stand  some  formal  report  of  Jesus'  principal  teachings.  In  chapters 
5-7  we  have  such  a  presentation,  commonly  called  the  "Sermon  on  the 
Mount."  In  a  later  volume  in  the  College  Cycle,  "Studies  in  the 
Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles,"  the  various  subjects  discussed 
in  this  address  are  taken  up  topically,  but  it  is  desirable  here  to  con- 
sider the  address  as  a  whole  in  order  to  understand  more  clearly  the 
forward  movement  in  the  Gospel  narrative  of  Jesus'  life. 

2.  To-day  read  the  entire  three  chapters  rapidly  through,  and  ascer- 
tain whether  any  one  subject  is  dominant  in  them,  and  whether  the 
address  breaks  up  into  any  clearly  marked  divisions.  Try  to  read 
these  words  as  though  you  had  never  before  seen  them.  Imagine 
yourself  to  be  one  of  the  newly  appointed  Twelve. 

"His  words  have  been  a  sort  of  infinite  wonder  to  the  world,  a  kind 
of  Divine  heart  and  conscience  to  it.  They  are  but  few;  we  can  read  in 
an  hour  all  of  His  thought  that  survives  in  the  forms  human  art  has 
created  to  clothe  and  immortalize  the  human  spirit.  Nor  was  He  care- 
ful to  preserve  them;  wrote  no  word,  commanded  no  word  to  be  written; 
spoke,  as  it  were,  into  the  listening  air  the  words  it  was  to  hear  and  pre- 
serve for  all  time.  And  the  speech  thus  spoken  into  the  air  has  been 
like  a  sweet  and  subtle  divine  essence  in  the  heart  of  humanity.  If  we 
imagine  a  handful  of  sweet  spices  cast  into  the  ocean  subduing  its  salt 
and  brackish  bitterness,  and  making  it  forevermore  pleasant  to  the 
taste;  or  a  handful  of  fragrance  thrown  into  the  air  spreading  and  pene- 
trating until  it  filled  the  atmosphere  of  every  land,  and  made  it  heal- 
ing and  grateful  as  the  breath  of  Paradise; — we  may  have  an  imper- 
fect physical  analogy  of  what  Christ's  words  have  been,  and  what  His 
teaching  has  done  for  the  thought  and  spirit  of  man.  Had  the  words 
of  any  other  great  teacher  perished;  had  the  wisdom  of  Socrates,  or  the 
science  of  Aristotle,  or  the  eloquence  of  Cicero,  or  the  poetry  of  iEschy- 
lus  or  Sophocles  been  lost,  our  world  had  still  been  little  different  from 
what  it  is  to-day.  But  had  the  words  of  Christ  vanished  into  silence, 
passed  into  the  great  halls  of  oblivion,  or  had  they  never  been  spoken, 
our  world  had  been  quite  other  than  it  is,  and  been  far  from  as  wise 
and  good  as  it  is  now." — P  airbairn.  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ        39 


Study  V.— ^TesuB  in  (B^lUtt  as  JJropI)et=|)caIer  (Continued) 

Second  Day:  Jesus'  Address  on  the  ELingdom  of  Heaven  and  Its 
Righteousness  (continued).     Matt.  5.1-48 

1.  In  Matthew  5  :  1-12  Jesus  gives  an  outlook  into  the  civilization  of 
the  New  Order,  points  out  what  it  promises  and  who  are  likely  to 
receive  its  promises.  He  brings  a  message  of  glad  hope  to  classes  of 
men  not  highly  esteemed  in  the  public  sentiment  of  the  day.  These 
opening  sentences  of  Jesus  would  have  been  laughed  at  in  the  court  of 
Tiberius  Caesar;  smiled  at  by  the  worldly  priests;  and  sneered  at  as 
superficially  simple  by  the  rabbinical  theologians.  The  underlying 
thought  of  Jesus  is  that  the  civilization  of  the  New  Order  will  be  charac- 
terized by  the  profound  mutual  interest  and  sympathy  of  all  its 
members. 

2.  Compare  the  following  paraphrase  with  the  text,  verse  by  verse: 
"Those  who  in  their  spirits  feel  like  poor  men  are  to  be  congratu- 
lated, for  they  are  the  ones  who  are  certain  to  find  place  in  the  New 
Civilization"  (v.  3).  The  poor  will  have  sympathy  with  each  other. 
The  traditional  rich  man,  with  his  satisfaction  in  having  special  privi- 
leges, will  have  passed  away  forever.  "Those  who  sorrow  are  to  be 
congratulated,  for  they  will  enjoy  the  blessedness  of  being  com- 
forted" (v.  4).  Not  comforted  by  God  alone,  but  by  other  members 
with  the  sympathy  that  is  to  characterize  the  New  Order.  The  sym- 
pathies of  men  in  the  New  Order  will  be  so  strong  and  true  that  the 
sorrow  which  gives  opportunity  for  their  expression  is  a  blessing. 
"Those  who,  with  due  consciousness  of  their  own  failings  and  with 
no  over-estimate  of  their  own  importance,  hold  themselves  ready  to 
contribute  to  the  welfare  of  others,  are  to  be  congratulated,  for  they 
are  the  ones  who  will  realize  our  national  Messianic  expectation  of 
exercising  dominion  over  the  whole  earth"  (v.  5).  What  is  your 
definition  of  "meek"?  "Those  who  fairly  hunger  and  thirst  for 
righteous  character  are  to  be  congratulated,  for  in  the  days  of  the 
Messianic  plenty  which  you  long  for,  it  is  they  who  will  possess 
abundance"  (v.  6).  What  did  the  rabbis  thirst  for.?  Cf.  Mark  12: 
38-40.  "Those  who  mercifully  forgive  are  to  be  congratulated,  for 
they  will  be  treated  mercifully  in  the  Messianic  judgment"  (v.  7). 
"Those  whose  hearts  are  clean  from  hate  and  greed,  and  not  alone 
those  whose  bodies  are  ceremonially  cleansed  for  worship  in  the  temple, 
are  to  be  congratulated,  for  it  is  they  who  will  survive  to  see  God's 
glory  and  worship  Him  in  the  New  Order"  (v.  8).     "Those  who  make 


40         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


peace  between  themselves  and  others,  and  who  reconcile  those  who  are 
at  variance  with  each  other,  are  to  be  congratulated,  for  it  is  they  who 
shall  have  such  kinship  with  God,  the  great  Peace  Maker,  as  will 
enable  them  to  enter  into  the  New  Order"  (v.  9).  "Those  who  are 
persecuted  because  of  firm  adherence  to  principle  may  be  congratu- 
lated, for  they  will  come  to  their  rights  in  the  New  Order"  (v.  10). 
"Congratulate  yourselves  when  your  neighbors,  under  the  influence  of 
the  rabbis,  insult  you  and  lie  about  you,  because  you  insist  upon 
identifying  yourselves  with  my  movement;  you  will  have  good  society 
in  the  age  to  come"  !  (vv.  n-12).  Consider  to  what  extent  Jesus  spoke 
of  His  own  religious  experience  in  making  the  preceding  statements. 

3.  In  vv.  13-16  Jesus  likens  the  Syrian  disciples  before  Him  to  salt 
and  light  for  the  world.  It  is  not  salt  for  seasoning  food  that  He  has  in 
mind,  but  salt  used  in  large  quantities  for  preserving  from  decay.  It 
would  be  only  such  salt  that  would  be  thrown  out  (perhaps  from 
houses  where  fish  were  pickled  or  dried)  and  used  to  make  paths. 
Why  are  such  personalities  as  are  described  in  vv.  i-il  like  "salt"  or 
"Hght"  to  the  social  life  of  the  communities  in  which  they  live  ? 

4.  In  w.  17-48  Jesus  shows  what  is  His  attitude  as  a  religious 
teacher  to  the  law  and  prophets.  The  rabbis  are  the  self-constituted 
expounders  of  the  law  and  the  prophets,  but  Jesus  discriminates 
sharply  between  the  rabbis  and  the  Scripture.  "Understand  clearly 
that  I  am  no  religious  revolutionist  in  my  religious  teaching.  I  have 
not  come  to  tear  down  the  teaching  of  the  law  and  the  prophets,  but  to 
carry  it  on  to  completion.  I  hold  as  earnestly  as  do  the  rabbis  that 
no  'jot  or  tittle'  of  the  law  shall  be  discarded  until  the  law's  ideal  be 
realized  in  human  society.  Whoever  in  practice  shall  regard  slight- 
ingly a  single  one  of  these  commandments,  and  shall  teach  others  so, 
shall  be  very  little  esteemed  in  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven;  but  who- 
ever practices  and  teaches  them  shall  be  considered  great.  I  cer- 
tainly am  not  a  religious  teacher  set  against  law  and  prophets,  as  the 
rabbis  represent  me  to  be  (cf.  Mark  2  :  7),  for  I  even  hold  that  un- 
less you  render  a  more  vital  obedience  to  the  law  and  prophets  than 
do  the  rabbis,  you  will  never  pass  into  the  New  Order  "  (vv.  17-20). 

Personal  Thought:  What  is  your  conception  of  happiness?  What 
is  your  life  dream,  which  you  do  not  speak  of,  but  nevertheless  like  to 
think  of?  Are  your  ideals  of  life  being  so  transformed  that  you  could 
sincerely  join  Jesus  in  offering  congratulations  to  the  elemental  men 
described  in  vv.  1-12  ? 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ        41 


Study  W.—'^tuns  in  Galilee  as  propf)ct=pcalcr  (Continued) 

Third  Day:   Jesus'  Address  on  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  and  Its 
Righteousness  (continued).     Matt.  5: 17-6:4 

1.  In  w.  17-48  Jesus  gives  illustrations  of  the  way  in  which  He  pro- 
poses to  develop  and  carry  on  to  completion  ("fulfill,"  v.  17)  the  law. 
As  has  been  seen  in  Study  II,  Sixth  Day,  there  is  evidence  that  Jesus 
had  meditated  much  upon  Deuteronomy.  Deut.  18  :  15,  which  was 
an  influential  Messianic  passage  in  the  early  church  (cf  Acts  3  :  22), 
would  naturally  suggest  that  a  part  of  the  Messiah's  work  would  be  to 
carry  on  to  completion  the  teaching  of  Moses.     This  Jesus  does  here. 

Read  w.  21-26  and  see  how  He  carries  the  law  against  murder  on  to 
such  a  point  of  development  as  to  make  it  include  ill-will  in  the  heart. 
Perhaps  v.  22  alludes  to  certain  distinctions  in  guilt  that  the  rabbis 
were  accustomed  to  make.  In  any  case,  Jesus'  teaching  is  that  a  man 
who  feels  anger  or  contempt  in  his  heart  is  a  fit  subject  for  the  atten- 
tion of  the  various  courts  of  law,  and  will  ultimately  pass  into  God's 
place  of  punishment  where  all  who  lack  sympathetic  good-will  must 
go.  A  man  who  is  trying  to  worship  God  without  having  first  made 
right  the  wrong  he  has  done  his  neighbor,  must  stop  instantly  and 
right  the  wrong  (vv.  23-24).  The  man  who  refuses  to  pay  his  debts, 
must  at  once  come  to  an  understanding  with  his  creditors,  for  God  will 
not  tolerate  the  ill-will  that  would  cheat  a  creditor  (vv.  25-26). 

Read  vv.  27-30  and  see  how  Jesus  develops  the  law  of  Moses  in 
another  fundamental  point.  "I  forbid  the  unchaste  glance  or  gesture. 
God's  punishment  for  such  is  certain.  If  eye  or  hand  be  the  means  of 
snaring  you  in  the  pitfall  of  an  unchaste  heart,  tear  out  your  eye  and 
cut  off  your  hand"  (vv.  29-30). 

Read  vv.  31-32.  Moses  had  gone  so  far  in  protecting  the  interests 
of  woman  as  to  require  the  husband  who  wished  to  divorce  his  wife  to 
give  her  a  written  statement  of  his  reason  for  doing  so.  This  would 
often  serve  her  as  a  statement  of  good  moral  character,  and  relieve  her 
from  the  suspi.'ion  of  having  been  divorced  for  immorality.  Jesus 
goes  much  further  in  the  protection  of  woman's  interests. 

Read  vv.  33-37.  Perhaps  allusion  is  here  made  to  the  different 
forms  of  oaths  recognized  by  the  rabbis.  Jesus  says  that  everything, 
even  the  hair  of  the  head,  belongs  to  God  and  is  too  sacred  to  be  made 
the  subject  of  an  oath.  "  Be  so  kindly  disposed  to  your  brother  as 
to  deal  with  him  in  absolute  sincerity.  Let  your  simple  'Yes'  and 
'No'  be  as  reliable  as  the  strongest  oaths  could  make  them.     Any 


42         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


departure  from  such  kindly,  honest  simplicity  comes  from  an  evil 
source"  (v.  ^"j^ 

Read  w.  38-42.  "You  are  familiar  with  the  restraints  which  the 
Mosaic  law  put  upon  injured  men.  It  allowed  the  infliction  of  no 
greater  injury  upon  the  offender  by  the  offended  than  he  had  himself 
received.  If  a  man  had  suffered  the  loss  of  an  eye  he  could  do  no  more 
thati  inflict  the  same  injury  in  return.  I  go  further  and  say  that  when 
a  man  has  been  injured  he  shall  inflict  no  injury  whatever  in  return 
(vv.  38-39.)  Never,  under  any  circumstances,  feel  revengeful  ill-will. 
Personal  abuse,  loss  of  property,  must  all  be  suffered  rather  than  be 
resented  with  ill-will "  (39-42). 

Read  vv.  43-48.  "You  have  heard  that  the  law  commanded  to  love 
one's  neighbor,  and  you  have  heard  the  rabbis  interpret  this  to  mean  that 
one  may  hate  no  one  but  an  enemy.  I  go  further,  and  extend  the  law's 
command  until  it  includes  love  to  all  enemies  (vv.  43-44).  If  you  show 
good-will  only  to  those  who  love  you,  where  is  your  religion  ?  Irreligious 
people  do  as  much  as  that.  You  must  remember  who  your  Father  is, 
and  you  must  feel  under  all  circumstances  the  good-will  that  will  prove 
your  right  to  be  called  the  children  of  a  perfect  Father"    (vv.  45-48). 

2.  In  6 :  I  a  general  principle  is  laid  down  and  in  the  following 
paragraphs  various  illustrations  of  it  are  given.  The  types  of  relig- 
ious life  current  among  the  rabbis  are  evidently  in  Jesus'  mind. 
"Whenever  you  perform  benevolent  deeds  do  not  do  them  in  such  a 
way  as  to  make  yourself  conspicuous.  Do  not  behave  as  the  hypo- 
critical rabbis  do  when  they  contribute  to  the  synagogue  collections  on 
the  Sabbath  or  give  alms  in  the  street.  They  simply  want  a  reputa- 
tion for  benevolence.  It  is  a  business  transaction  with  them  (the 
Greek  word  here  is  one  frequently  used  to  receipt  bills).  They  could 
sign  a  receipt  for  so  much  recognition  received  for  so  much  money  con- 
tributed. But  thou,  my  disciple,  when  thou  givest  money,  let  thy 
right  hand  slip  the  money  so  slyly  into  the  recipient's  hand  that  even 
thy  left  hand  shall  not  know  what  has  been  done.  Thy  Father,  who 
sees  all  secret  deeds  of  love,  notices  it  and  will  reward  you  with  his 
approval"  (vv.  2-4). 

Personal  Thought :  "Thy  Father  which  seeth  in  secret."  Have  you 
ever  tasted  largely  of  the  satisfaction  which  comes  from  kindness  so 
secretly  done  that  no  one  but  the  recipient  knows  it  ?  Such  secrecy 
may  not  always  be  practicable,  but  it  often  is.  It  is  a  means  of  culti- 
vating a  sense  of  the  reality  of  God,  the  development  of  which  within 
us  is  so  essendal  to  the  progress  of  the  religious  life. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         43 


Study  Y.—^t6us  in  (Galilee  as  |)ropbet=|^eaIcr  (Continued) 

Fourth  Day  :  Jesus'  Address  on  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  and  Its 
Righteousness  (continued).     Matt.  6:5-24 

1.  Read  carefully  6  :5-i5.  "The  rabbis  plan  to  have  the  prayer 
hour  overtake  them  in  public  places  in  order  that  ihey  may  be  spoken 
of  as  men  of  prayer"  (v.  5).     What  is  the  "recompense"  (v.  6)  ? 

Vv.  7-15  seem  to  be  a  parenthesis,  for  they  are  not  concerned  with 
the  publicity  of  prayer,  but  rather  with  its  simpl'city.  God  is  a  Father 
whose  attention  we  do  not  have  to  strain  ourselves  to  get  (vv.  7-8). 
An  illustration  of  the  brevity  and  substance  of  prayer  follows  (vv.  9-13). 
Read  it,  asking  yourself  what  each  word  means. 

"Father  of  all  of  us,  who  art  in  heaven,  may  thy  name  and  person 
be  sacredly  loved  everywhere; 

"May  thy  will  be  done  in  earth  as  perfectly  and  heartily  as  the 
angels  do  it  in  heaven; 

"Give  us  this  night  bread  for  to-morrow."  (See  margin  R.  V. 
Perhaps  Jesus  had  in  mind  the  Israelites  praying  in  the  evening  that  in 
the  night  manna  for  to-morrow's  bread  might  fall.) 

"Forgive  us  our  sins,  for  we  have  forgiven  those  who  have  sinned 
against  us; 

"Do  not  bring  us  into  temptation,  for  we  know  that  we  are  but 
weak  children,  not  strong  nor  self-Sdfficient.  Rather,  Father,  snatch 
us  away  from  the  evil." 

In  w.  14-15,  Jesus  returns  to  His  great  underlying  thought  that  men 
in  the  New  Order  are  to  be  men  of  unfailing  good-will. 

Read  vv.  16-18,  another  illustration  of  6  :  i.  "Whenever  you  fast 
do  not  whiten  your  faces  to  make  them  show  the  pallor  of  long  absti- 
nence from  food,  and  do  not  try  to  look  haggard  and  gloomy"  (v.  16). 

2.  In  6  :  19-34  Jesus  takes  up  a  new  subject.  He  discusses  the  love 
of  money  so  characteristic  of  the  nation.  Vv.  19-24  are  addressed  to 
the  contented  rich;  vv.  25-34  to  the  anxious  poor.  Read  w.  19-24, 
remembering  that  wealth  in  the  Orient  consisted  largely  of  rich  cloths 
and  metals  which  might  be  injured  by  moths  and  rust.  What  does 
Jesus  consider  to  be  "treasures  in  heaven"?  And  how  are  they 
accumulated  (vv.  19-21)? 

Personal  Thought :  We  need  such  a  conception  of  the  life  to  come  as 
will  enable  us  to  make  the  most  of  the  life  that  now  is.  The  question 
is,  what  habits  of  feeling,  thinking,  and  living  will  be  demanded  by  the 
exigencies  of  the  life  to  come  ?     We  have  a  chance  to  form  them  now. 


44         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  Y.—'^tme  (n  (0aIiUe  a£E  propl)et-|)caIcr  (Continued) 

Fifth  Day:  Jesus'  Address  on  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  and  Its 
Righteousness  (continued).     Matt.  6: 19-34. 

Continuing  the  study  of  6  :  19-34,  read  vv.  22-23.  "The  eye  is  the 
organ  which  serves  as  a  lamp,  giving  to  the  hands,  feet,  and  other  mem- 
bers of  the  body  the  light  which  they  need  for  the  performance  of  their 
functions.  If  the  eye  be  sound,  the  members  of  the  body  will  be  well 
lighted;  but  if  it  be  unhealthy,  they  will  be  in  darkness.  If  that  spirit- 
ual faculty  by  which  we  perceive  truth,  upon  which  we  depend  for  our 
spiritual  enlightenment  and  our  sense  of  the  reality  of  God  and  the 
life  to  come,  be  injured,  how  great  will  be  our  moral  darkness  (vv. 
22,  23)."  What  is  here  said  to  endanger  the  health  of  this  faculty.'' 
How  endanger  it  ?     Write  careful  answers. 

In  vv.  25-34  Jesus  turns  to  the  poor  man  whose  danger  of  being 
engrossed  in  anxiety  about  money  is  as  great  as  that  of  the  rich  man. 
He  is  not  to  worry,  because  the  God  who  gave  him  so  wonderful  a 
thing  as  life  and  a  human  body  can  surely  do  that  which  is  less  won- 
derful, namely,  enable  him  to  get  food  to  sustain  the  life  and  clothes  to 
put  on  the  body  (v.  25).  He  has  given  the  birds  a  chance  to  get  their 
food;  men  are  dearer  to  Him  than  birds  (v.  26)!  Anyway,  worrying 
about  it  will  not  lengthen  the  life  course  a  single  cubit  (v.  27).  He 
sees  to  it  that  the  flowers  are  beautifully  clothed;  men 'are  dearer  to 
Him  than  flowers  (vv.  28-30)!  Men  ought  not,  therefore,  to  worry 
about  these  things:  "What  shall  we  eat.?  What  shall  we  wear.?" 
(v.  31).  They  would  be  acting  like  people  who  do  not  know  that  God 
is  their  Father  (v.  32).  If  their  supreme  ambition  be  to  see  the  New 
Order  coming,  and  to  have  the  kind  of  character  requisite  for  a  part 
in  it,  their  Father  will  not  let  them  suflTer  for  lack  of  food  and  clothing 
(v.  33).  They  are  not  to  borrow  trouble  about  to-morrow.  To  meet 
tranquilly  the  unpleasant  circumstances  of  to-day  is  enough  (v.  34). 

Personal  Thought:  Do  you  worry.?  The  fundamental  difficulty  is 
that  you  do  not  really  believe  that  there  is  a  live  God  and  that  He  is 
your  Father.  Let  Jesus,  out  of  His  own  infinite  experience,  assure  you 
that  "your  heavenly  Father  knoweth  that  you  have  need  of  all  these 
things."  He  will  not  drop  "these  things"  into  your  lap  any  more  than 
He  drops  food  into  the  bird's  mouth,  but  He  will  see  to  it  that  reason- 
able, healthful  effbrt  on  your  part  gets  what  it  is  best  you  should  have. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ        45 


Study  W.—^tsue  in  (Snliltt  as  propbct-j^ealer  (Continued) 

Sixth  Day:   Jesus'  Address  on  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  and  Its 
Righteousness  (continued).     Matt.  7:1-23 

Read  7  :  1-6.  "Do  not  be  of  a  spirit  that  is  quick  to  observe  and 
pronounce  sentence  upon  the  faults  of  others,  for  to  just  the  extent  to 
which  you  indulge  this  spirit  you  will  call  down  upon  yourself  God's 
judgment.  The  disposition  to  condemn  censoriously  your  neighbor 
for  some  small  fault  in  his  life  is  a  great  sin  in  your  own  life  and  destroys 
your  ability  to  help  your  neighbor  correct  his  faults.  First  be  rid  of 
your  own  sinful,  critical  disposition,  and  then  you  will  be  able  to  help 
your  neighbor  correct  his  faults  (vv.  1-5).  Yet  do  not  be  wholly  undis- 
criminating  in  your  efforts  to  help  others.  Be  wise  in  proffering  truth 
and  kindly  suggestions  to  men.  Do  not  offer  them  where  they  will 
simply  enrage"  (v.  6). 

The  subject  discussed  in  vv.  7-1 1  is  taken  up  in  "Studies  in  the 
Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles."  The  fundamental  questions  to 
ask  here  are:  Does  Jesus  teach  that  God  ever  grants  in  answer  to 
prayer  for  specific  objects  what  would  not  otherwise  be  given  ?  What 
is  it  in  the  character  of  God  that  encourages  us  to  pray  ?  Read  the 
verses  and  write  your  reply.  Consider  that  Jesus  here  speaks  out 
of  His  own  experience  in  the  prayer  life.     Cf.  John  1 1  :  22,  41,  42. 

Compare  vv.  12-23  ^''^h  the  following  condensed  paraphrase: 
"  Feel  for  others  the  same  sympathetic  good-will  that  you  need  from 
them.  I  know  that  this  is  not  easily  done,  but  it  is  only  through  this 
narrow  and  little-traveled  path  that  you  will  pass  into  the  life  of  the 
New  Order  (vv.  12-14).  Many  who  profess  to  be  religious  teachers 
have  not  found  this  narrow  way.  They  have  the  appearance  of  inno- 
cence, but  at  heart  they  are  savage  (v.  15).  Test  them  by  their  lives. 
The  only  certain  evidence  of  discipleship  among  my  followers  is  lives 
of  love  in  which  the  will  of  God  is  being  done  (vv.  16-21).  In  the 
Messianic  judgment  it  will  become  evident  that  some  who  now  call  me 
their  Lord  and  do  miracles  in  my  name  are  not  really  my  disciples" 
(v.  22). 

Personal  Thought :  "The  will  of  my  Father."  It  is  not  a  hard  will. 
It  is  infinite  love  expressing  itself  in  volition.  Suppose  that  God  did 
not  love  you  enough  to  have  any  will  about  you! 


46         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  V.— 3fcstt6  in  Galilee  as  J)ropl)ct=|)raIer  (Continued) 

Seventh  Day:    Jesus'  Address  on  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  and 
Its  Righteousness  (concluded).    Matt.  7  :  24-27;  Luke  6 :  20-49 

1.  This  wonderful  report  of  Jesus'  teaching  closes  with  an  illus- 
tration very  natural  on  the  lips  of  a  carpenter.  Jesus  had  built  houses 
and  knew  the  necessity  of  a  rock  foundation.  Read  carefully  w.  24- 
27.  Notice  the  two  things  that  enable  a  man  to  build  a  life  structure 
that  will  outlast  a  storm. 

2.  Before  leaving  this  discourse  turn  to  Luke  6:20-49  and  read 
the  shorter  report  of  it  found  there.  Certain  characteristic  features 
of  Luke's  Gospel  appear  in  this  report  which  will  be  noted  later 
when  we  take  a  general  survey  of  Luke.  For  the  present,  note  such 
peculiarities  as  impress  you  in  a  single  reading. 

Personal  Thought:  "Heareth  my  words  and  doeth  them":  to 
hear  and  to  do,  to  see  and  to  act.  We  need  steadily  to  face  the  fact 
that  to  hear  and  not  to  do,  to  see  a  duty  and  not  to  do  it,  is  nothing 
less  than  ruin.  "The  ruin  of  that  house  was  great."  Does  your 
conscience  suggest  a  neglected  duty  ? 

.        "  Stand  still,  my  soul,  in  the  silent  dark 
I  would  question  thee. 
Alone  in  the  shadow,  drear  and  stark, 
With  God  and  me  ! 

"  What,  my  soul,  was  thy  errand  here  ? 
Was  it  mirth  or  ease. 
Or  heaping  up  dust  from  year  to  year  ? 
*  Nay,  none  of  these  ! ' 

"  Speak,  soul,  aright  in  His  holy  sight. 
Whose  eye  looks  still 
And  steadily  on  thee  through  the  night  : 
«  To  do  His  will  !  ' 

"  What  hast  thou  done,  O  soul  of  mine. 
That  thou  tremblest  so  ? — 
Hast  thou  wrought  His  task,  and  kept  the  line 
He  bade  thee  go  ? 

"  Leaning  on  Him,  make  with  reverent  meekness 
His  own  thy  will, 
And  with  strength  from  Him  shall  thy  utter  weakness 
Life's  task  fulfill." 

Whittier,  My  Soul  and  I. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         47 


Study  Yl.—^tenn  in  (Galilee  afi  prDp()Ct=|^caIer  (ConiinueJ) 

First  Day:  Jesus'  Family  Concerned  about  His  Sanity;  the  Beel- 
zebub Hypothesis  Advanced  by  the  Jerusalem  Rabbis.  Mark 
3:19-35;  Matt.  12:  22-50;  Luke  11:14-36;  8:19-21 

1.  After  announcing  the  appointment  of  the  Twelve,  Jesus  gave 
Himself  to  the  work  of  teaching  and  heaUng  with  even  greater  aban- 
don than  before.  He  often  found  no  time  to  eat.  When  the  Naza- 
reth relatives  (cf.  Mark  6:3)  heard  of  this  they  concluded  that  He 
was  losing  His  mental  balance  and  came  down  to  Capernaum  to 
carry  Him  back  to  the  quiet  of  Nazareth  where  He  might  recuperate. 
Perhaps  some  of  them  (especially  James)  sympathized  with  the  rabbis 
in  condemning  the  apparent  laxness  of  His  religious  views.  Read 
Mark  3:20-21.  Read  also  Mark  3:  31-35,  which  describes  the  attempt 
of  the  family  to  secure  Jesus  and  the  somewhat  stern,  though  quiet, 
way  in  which  He  resented  their  interference.  This  attitude  of  Jesus' 
mother  towards  Him  is  not  necessarily  inconsistent  with  the  represen- 
tation in  the  first  chapter  of  Luke  that  she  knew  of  His  Messiahship. 
The  conception  of  Messiahship  held  by  the  Jews  was  very  inferior  to 
that  of  the  Christian  church.  It  did  not  seem  impossible  to  Peter  that 
his  Messiah  should  blunder  (Mark  8:32),  and  Jesus'  mother  might 
have  thought  that  His  mind  had  been  temporarily  overstrained. 

2.  About  the  same  time  the  Jerusalem  rabbis  officially  advanced  a 
hypothesis  to  account  for  Jesus'  deeds.  Mark's  narrative  up  this 
point  has  led  us  to  surmise  that  here  and  there  some  must  have 
wondered  if  the  great  prophet  were  not  the  Messiah.  This  would 
make  it  imperative  that  the  rabbis  issue  an  announcement  concerning 
Him.  Matthew's  Gospel  asserts  this.  Read  Matt.  12:23-24.  The 
hypothesis  which  the  rabbis  now  advanced  is  that  Jesus  performed 
His  cures,  especially  cures  of  demoniacs,  through  connection  with 
Beelzebub,  the  chief  of  demons.  They  doubtless  urged  that  Jesus 
showed  some  trace  of  a  demoniacal  disturbance  of  mind,  as  His  own 
family  had  admitted.  Read  Mark  3  :  20-30,  and  show  what  is  the 
force  of  the  two  illustrations  by  which  Jesus  asserted  the  falsity  of 
their  hypothesis:  the  divided  kingdom  (v.  24)  and  the  divided  family 
(v.  25).     What  is  the  point  of  the  positive  illustration  in  v.  27  ? 

Personal  Thought:  The  personal  power  of  Jesus  Christ  is  greater 
than  any  power  of  evil.  In  these  busy  days  in  Galilee  a  demonstra- 
tion was  being  made  of  infinite  significance  to  all  subsequent  ages. 
If  you  are  a  tempted  man,  remember  this. 


48         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  VI.— ^TcBius  in  (Salilcc  a6  propI)ct=^calcr  {Continued) 

Second  Day:  The  Beelzebub  Hypothesis  Advanced  by  the  Jeru- 
salem Rabbis  (concluded).  Mark  3:22-30;  Matt.  12:22-45; 
Luke  II : 14-36 

1.  The  attitude  taken  by  the  rabbis  in  advancing  the  Beelzebub 
hypothesis  led  Jesus  to  make  a  profoundly  significant  statement  about 
them  and  their  danger.  Read  Mark  3  :  28-30.  Write  out  tentative 
answers  to  the  following  questions  before  reading  further  on  this 
page:  Just  how,  in  advancing  their  hypothesis,  had  the  rabbis  sinned, 
or  been  in  danger  of  sinning,  against  the  Holy  Spirit?  Does  the 
language  indicate  that  a  man  might  repent  and  fail  of  forgiveness .? 
Or  that  he  might  never  repent  ?  Consider  the  force  of  the  last  clause 
in  V.  29. 

2.  In  looking  at  the  impressive  limitation  to  forgiveness,  do  not 
overlook  the  broad  proclamation  of  forgiveness  in  v.  28.  These 
rabbis  had,  through  a  process  of  development  which  it  would  be  in- 
teresting to  try  to  trace,  come  to  the  point  where  they  could  face  what 
the  world  recognizes  as  the  most  profound  manifestation  of  God  in 
human  history  and  call  it  a  devil!  Jesus  was  devoutly  conscious  that 
the  Spirit  of  God  in  Him  enabled  Him  to  do  His  beneficent  works, 
but  that  Spirit  they  called  Beelzebub!  They  were  in  danger  of  settling 
down  into  eternal  fixity  in  sin,  all  the  more  awful  because  they  felt 
no  solicitude  about  themselves.  If  they  had  felt  solicitude  about 
themselves,  or  any  regret  for  their  action,  it  would  have  been  clear  that 
they  had  not  committed  the  so-called  unpardonable  sin.  The  thing 
to  be  dreaded  is  the  beginning  of  the  process  by  which  this  fixity  in 
sin  comes  to  be. 

The  great  law  of  the  spiiitual  world  is  that  persistent  failure  to 
accept  truth  or  do  duty  results  in  the  loss  of  the  capacity  to  see  that 
truth  or  duty.  From  him  that  has  not  the  willingness  to  do  truth, 
shall  be  taken  away,  by  natural  psychological  processes,  the  power  to 
apprehend  the  truth.  It  will  become  evident  later  that  the  funda- 
mental difficulty  with  these  rabbis  was  their  selfishness.  They  were 
more  or  less  consciously,  but  nevertheless  really,  unwilling  to  recog- 
nize the  superiority  of  Jesus'  conception  of  religion  to  their  own  be- 
cause they  saw  that  if  His  conception  of  the  Kingdom  prevailed,  their 
social  and  ecclesiastical  prestige  would  be  gone.  Read  Mark  12:38- 
40  and  the  first  half  of  John  5  :  44. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ        49 


"  No  word  of  doom  may  shut  thee  out, 

No  wind  of  wrath  may  downward  whirl, 
No  swords  of  fire  keep  watch  about 
The  open  gates  of  pearl ; 

"  A  tenderer  light  than  moon  or  sun, 
Than  song  of  earth  a  sweeter  hymn, 
May  shine  and  sound  forever  on, 
And  thou  be  deaf  and  dim. 

**  Forever  round  the  Mercy-seat 

The  guiding  lights  of  Love  shall  burn  j 
But  what  if,  habit- bound,  thy  feet 
Shall  lack,  the  will  to  turn  ? 

**  What  if  thine  eye  refuse  to  see. 

Thine  ear  of  Heaven's  free  welcome  fail, 
And  thou  a  willing  captive  be. 
Thyself  thy  own  dark  jail  ? 

**  O  doom  beyond  the  saddest  guess. 
As  the  long  years  of  God  unroll 
To  make  thy  dreary  selfishness 
The  prison  of  a  soul !  " 

Whittier,  The  Answer, 


so        Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  VI.— STcfiufi  in  (SaltUe  aci  |)ropl^ct=|)caIcr  (Continued) 

Third   Day:    Jesus'    New    Method    of    Teaching.      Mark   4:1-2, 
9-13,  21-25;  Matt.  13:1-3,  10-17;  Luke  8-g-io,  16-18 

1.  At  this  point  Jesus  abruptly  changed  His  method  of  teaching 
and  began  to  introduce  a  series  of  disconnected  stories  which  He 
assured  the  people  were  extremely  important,  but  the  meaning  of  which 
not  even  His  disciples  could  understand.  Read  Mark  4:  1-2,  9-13, 
and  especially  Matt.  13:  10.  Mark  gives  only  a  few  specimens  of 
the  many  stories  alluded  to  in  4  :  33.  Probably  before  this  time  Jesus' 
style  of  teaching  had  been  that  which  we  find  in  Matt.  5-7. 

2.  The  question  is,  Why  did  Jesus  introduce  this  innovation  in  His 
teaching?  In  reply  to  this  read  Matt.  13:10-17,  Mark  4:10-12, 
Luke  8:9-10,  and  write  out  the  best  answer  you  can.  The  Greek 
word  translated  "  mystery"  does  not  mean  something  hard  to  un- 
derstand, but  simply  a  concealed  truth.  It  may  be  perfectly  intelli- 
gible the  moment  it  is  stated. 

3.  The  quotation  made  here  is  from  Is.  6:8-10,  and  describes  the 
extreme  moral  obtuseness  of  the  nation  and  its  consequent  doom. 
Read  Is.  6:8-13.  Some  of  the  Gospels  quote  from  the  Hebrew  of 
Isaiah  (represented  in  our  English  text),  and  some  from  the  Greek, 
which  varies  a  little  from  the  Hebrew. 

The  severity  of  Jesus'  language  is  understood  when  it  is  remem- 
bered that  the  rabbis  in  their  opposition  to  God  have  now  gone  to 
the  extreme  of  advancing  the  Beelzebub  hypothesis,  which  calls  the 
Holy  Spirit  a  devil.  They  have  resisted  and  rejected  the  plain  state- 
ments of  truth  made  by  Jesus  about  the  Kingdom  of  God  during  the 
Galilean  campaign,  a  specimen  of  which  we  have  in  Matt.  5-7,  and 
their  punishment  is  that  this  method  is  now  replaced  by  one  that  is  less 
simple  and  less  immediately  intelligible.  It  may  be  said  about  para- 
bolic teaching  in  general  that  it  presents  truth  in  an  exceedingly 
thought-provoking  and  effective  way  to  one  who  cares  for  truth,  but 
in  a  way  which  tells  nothing  to  one  who  does  not  want  to  know  truth 
and  has  forfeited  his  right  to  it. 

Mark  4:  12  reads  almost  as  though  Jesus  preferred  not  to  have 
the  rabbis  repent,  but  it  is  probable  that  this  clause  is  included  simply 
as  a  part  of  the  quotation  which,  as  a  whole,  describes  the  general 
situation.  Jesus  seems  to  guard  Himself  against  such  misinterpre- 
tation in  vv.  21-25.     Read  vv.  21-25,  considering  them  to  be  a  con- 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         51 


tinuation  of  w.  10-12,  the  explanation  of  the  parable,  vv.  13-20, 
being  inserted  parenthetically.  After  reading  the  following  paraphrase 
read  the  text  itself  again:  "Perhaps  what  I  have  said  about  choosing 
parabolic  teaching,  because  it  does  not  reveal  truth  to  those  who  do 
not  care  for  truth,  may  lead  you  to  suppose  that  I  take  pleasure  in 
keeping  truth  from  men.  To  suppose  so  is  as  absurd  as  it  would  be 
to  suppose  that  a  man  would  light  a  lamp  and  then  cover  it  up  with 
a  half-bushel  measure  or  put  it  under  a  bed  (v.  21).  There  never  has 
been  any  truth  hidden  for  a  time  from  men  but  that  it  might  after- 
ward be  brought  more  effectively  to  the  attention  of  those  who  care 
for  it,  as  you  have  yourselves  just  experienced  in  the  interpretation 
of  the  parable  you  have  received  from  me  (v.  22).  If  anyone  cares 
to  hear  truth,  let  him  listen  with  honest  attention  and  he  will  hear  (v. 
23).  You  need  to  give  most  scrupulously  honest  attention  to  what 
you  hear,  because  you  will  get  just  such  a  measure  of  truth  as  is  your 
desire  to  know  and  do  the  truth  (v.  24).  Whoever  has  a  desire  to 
know  and  do  truth,  to  him  God  delights  to  reveal  it;  but  whoever 
does  not  love  the  truth  he  knows,  shall  lose  even  what  he  does  have, 
and  also,  as  in  the  case  of  these  blasphemous  rabbis,  his  very  power 
of  apprehending  truth"  (v.  25). 

Personal  Thought :  The  law  of  the  Kingdom  is  that  everything 
shall  come  to  light;  secrets  shall  be  made  known;  frankness  will 
characterize  the  civilization  of  brotherly  men  that  Jesus  is  introducing 
upon  the  earth. 


52         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  WL—^t6n6  in  (Galilee  as  PropI)ct^|)caIcr  (Continued) 

Fourth  Day:  Secrets  of  the  Kingdom  in  the  Parable  of  Seed 
and  Soil.  Mark  4:3-9,  14-20;  Matt.  13:3-9,  18-23;  Luke 
8:4-8,  11-15 

The  stories  set  forth  certain  "secrets"  of  the  Kingdom  ("mys- 
teries" Mark  4:  11),  that  is,  certain  points  in  which  Jesus'  conception 
of  the  Kingdom  differed  from  that  generally  current.  The  abruptness 
of  the  coming  of  the  Kingdom  was  one  feature  of  the  popular  con- 
ception. Now  read  the  parable  and  Jesus'  brief  explanation  of  it 
(Mark  4:3-9,  14-20)  looking  for  the  answer  to  these  questions: 
What  secret  of  the  Kingdom  does  the  parable  reveal  ?  Does  this 
parable  at  all  report  Jesus'  own  experience  during  His  recent  months 
of  evangelizing  in  Galilee  ? 

The  fields  in  the  east  were  separated  simply  by  footpaths,  and  in  a 
single  field  it  was  possible  to  find  all  these  varieties  of  soil.  Character- 
ize each  of  the  four  classes  of  hearers  described  in  the  story.  Imagine 
an  instance  of  each  of  the  four  classes  as  Jesus  had  met  them  in  His 
recent  experience.  Had  there  probably  been  any  "persecution"  (v. 
17)  of  persons  who  had  been  temporarily  attracted  to  Jesus;  if  so,  by 
whom  and  of  what  sort  ? 

The  assumption  underlying  the  entire  illustration  is  that  as  soil  is  to 
the  seed,  so  is  the  mind  of  man  to  truth.  The  whole  problem,  there- 
fore, is  to  secure  the  proper  kind  and  degree  of  prolonged  attention. 
If  the  proper  degree  and  kind  of  attention  is  secured  there  is  no  doubt 
whatever  about  the  result.  The  parable,  therefore,  makes  a  most  pro- 
found classification  of  men,  and  on  the  basis  of  Jesus'  experience. 
He  had  seen  persons  stop  on  the  edge  of  the  crowd,  attracted  for  the 
moment  by  something  He  said,  and  then  drift  thoughtlessly  on;  He 
had  seen  people  give  assent  to  His  teaching  and  be  persecuted  out  of 
their  interest  in  Him  by  the  rabbis  of  their  home  communities;  He 
had  seen  anxious,  careworn  faces  of  men  and  women  engrossed  in 
other  things  than  the  truth  about  the  Kingdom;  He  had  also  seen 
those  who  took  time  for  candid  attention  to  the  truth,  and  in  them 
was  His  hope. 

Personal  Thought :  Do  you  often  think  for  fifteen  minutes  at  a  time 
of  some  important  religious  truth  .''  When  you  are  coming  out  of 
church  after  an  impressive  sermon,  do  your  miscellaneous  remarks 
to  your  friends  make  you  the  unintentional  agent  of  him  who  dreads 
to  have  people  think  long  of  any  great  truth  (v.  15)  ? 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         s^ 


Study  Wl.—^tsns  in  <25altlce  as  |)rDpl^ct=|)caIer  (Continue J) 

Fifth  Day:  Secrets  of  the  Kingdom  in  the  Stories  of  the  Grow- 
ing Crop  and  the  Mustard  Seed  in  the  Garden.  Mark  4:  26-32; 
Matt.  13:31-32 

1.  In  order  to  determine  what  truth  a  parable  is  intended  to  illus- 
trate one  needs  to  notice  whether  or  not  the  truth  is  plainly  stated  in 
the  context.  When  it  is  not  so  stated,  it  is  necessary  to  see  what 
feature  of  the  story,  regarded  simply  as  a  story,  seems  to  be  its  chief 
feature,  and  to  seize  upon  that  as  indicating  the  principal  moral  truth 
illustrated  by  the  parable.  Generally  the  teaching  of  the  parable  is 
to  be  confined  to  that  principal  truth. 

2.  Read  Mark  4:26-29  and  answer  this  question,  in  writing  as 
usual:  What  truth  of  the  Kingdom,  not  currently  known,  did  this  story 
illustrate .?  Here  again  bear  in  mind  the  abrupt,  brilliant,  and  im- 
pressive phenomena  currently  looked  for  in  the  coming  of  the  King- 
dom. 

One  of  the  impressive  features  of  this  parable  is  the  confidence  of 
Jesus,  in  spite  of  apparent  comparative  failure.  He  had  not  won  the 
religious  leaders  at  all,  and  it  is  more  than  probable  that  the  crowds 
attracted  to  Him  were  largely  attracted  by  His  healing  power,  and 
would  have  fallen  away  had  they  realized  how  little  their  popular 
conception  of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  agreed  with  that  of  Jesus.  He 
had  not  dared  to  declare  His  Messiahship  to  them,  yet  He  appears 
here  absolutely  confident  of  the  final  outcome.  Truth  had  been 
planted  in  men's  minds,  ideas  had  been  lodged  there,  and  He  felt 
like  the  farmer  who  goes  his  way  by  day  and  sleeps  soundly  at  night 
when  once  his  crop  is  in. 

3.  Although  the  mustard  seed  Is  the  smallest  of  garden  seeds,  it 
grows  about  the  Sea  of  Galilee  to  be  almost  a  tree  in  which  birds  can 
build  nests,  and  comes  to  be  quite  out  of  the  class  of  garden  herbs. 
Read  Mark  4:30-32.  What  truth  connected  with  the  Kingdom  of 
God  does  the  parable  illustrate  ?  Is  it  truth  in  an  individual  life,  or 
the  Kingdom  of  God  in  the  world  that  is  here  thought  of.'' 

Personal  Thought :  Have  you  learned  to  study  with  interest  the 
growing  Kingdom  of  God  in  the  world;  the  irresistible  trend  of  civili- 
zation; the  development  of  social  forces  that  are  evidently  beyond 
the  control  of  any  man  or  combination  of  men;  especially  the  trans- 
formation of  heathen  civilizations  as  one  may  learn  of  it  in  mission 
study  classes  ? 


54         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  VI.— STtsuB  in  Galilee  as  ptopI)Ct-|)caIcr  (Continued) 

Sixth  Day:  Secrets  of  the  Kingdom  in  the  Story  of  the  Tares 
and  Wheat,  and  the  Yeast  in  the  Meal.  Matt.  13:24-30,  ^s, 
36-43 

1.  Matthew's  Gospel  contains  several  parables  on  the  secrets  of 
the  Kingdom,  not  found  in  Mark,  which  may  be  looked  at  here. 

Tares,  or  zizanium,  resemble  wheat  in  the  early  stages  of  growth, 
but  are  easily  distinguishable  at  maturity.  The  zizanium  is  a  poison- 
ous narcotic  which  causes  dizziness  and  nausea  if  it  by  mistake  gets 
into  the  bread.  Read  first  the  story  itself  in  Matt.  13:24-30,  and 
ascertain  what  seems  to  be  the  center  of  interest  and  the  most  striking 
feature  of  the  story.  Then  read  Jesus'  own  explanation  of  it  in  vv. 
36-43  and  write  out  a  statement  of  the  truth  which  the  story  prin- 
cipally illustrates. 

2.  One  of  the  features  of  Jesus'  career  most  disappointing  to  the 
disciples  that  believed  Him  to  be  the  Messiah  must  have  been  His 
slowness  to  begin  the  Messianic  judgment  which  was  popularly  ex- 
pected to  inaugurate  the  Kingdom  of  God.  This  judgment  had 
been  prominent  in  John  the  Baptist's  message  (cf.  Matt.  3:  10-12). 
We  may  well  believe  that  Jesus  knew  how  these  disciples  felt  and  told 
them  this  story  to  teach  them  that  the  judgment  must  be  delayed. 
Ultimately,  when  the  time  for  it  was  ripe,  the  judgment  would  come. 
In  the  explanation  of  the  parable  He  represents  Himself  unhesitat- 
ingly as  the  Messiah,  but  it  is  in  the  privacy  of  the  inner  circle. 

3.  In  a  country  where  bread  and  not  meat  is  the  staple  article  of 
food,  three  measures  of  meal,  though  a  large  amount,  is  the  usual 
amount  for  baking  (Gen.  18:6).  Read  the  parable  of  the  Yeast  in 
the  Meal,  Matt.  13:33,  and  state  what  secret  of  the  Kingdom  it 
illustrates. 

Personal  Thought :  The  silent  contagion  of  character,  the  quiet 
passing  of  the  word  from  a  man  to  his  neighbor,  are  mighty  forces 
always  available  for  use  by  any  member  of  the  Kingdom. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         $$ 


Study  VI.— SftBuc  in  (Salilce  as  |)ropf)ct--^eaIer  (Continued) 

Seventh  Day:  Secrets  of  the  Kingdom  in  the  Parable  of  the 
Treasure  in  the  Field,  the  Valuable  Pearl,  and  the  Sorting  of 
the  Fishes  in  the  Drag-Net.     Matt.  13:44-50. 

1.  In  a  country  where  there  were  no  banks,  and  where,  therefore, 
money  was  frequently  hid  in  the  ground,  a  laborer  found  a  treasure 
in  a  field.  He  sold  all  that  he  had  and  bought  the  field.  Read  Matt. 
13:44,  and  determine  what  truth  regarding  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven 
Jesus  illustrated  by  the  stoiy.  How  did  Jesus  probably  expound  it 
(Mark  4:33)? 

2.  A  pearl  merchant  travels  everywhere  buying  up  valuable  pearls. 
He  finds  one  of  such  value  that  he  sells  everything  in  order  to  buy  it. 
Read.  Matt.  13:45-46,  and  state  what  truth  of  the  Kingdom  it  illus- 
trates. Is  this  truth  different  from  the  one  illustrated  in  the  parable 
of  the  treasure  in  the  field,  or  are  the  two  stories  intended  simply  to 
interest  different  classes  of  people  in  the  same  truth  .'' 

3.  The  great  drag-net  usually  was  out  all  day,  and  at  evening  the 
fishermen  drew  it  in  and  sat  down  on  the  beach  to  sort  the  fish.  Read 
Matt.  13:47-50,  and  determine  what  truth  regarding  the  Kingdom 
is  here  illustrated. 

4.  Perhaps  it  has  not  been  easy  in  every  case  to  see  that  the  truths 
illustrated  by  these  later  parables  became  a  "secret"  of  the  inner 
circle  and  were  not  a  part  of  the  current  conception  of  the  Messianic 
Kingdom  of  God.  Possibly  Matthew  groups  these  parables  because 
they  are  logically  related,  all  of  them  being  about  the  Kingdom,  and 
does  not  mean  to  apply  the  statement  in  13: 1 1  to  all  of  them. 

Personal  Thought :  These  mysterious  truths  taught  by  Jesus,  and 
His  own  intense  personality,  must  have  kept  the  air  charged  with  a 
sense  of  great  things  to  come.  It  was  a  time  of  crisis,  a  time  of  peril 
as  well  as  of  opportunity.  The  parable  of  the  man  coming  with 
eager  anticipation  to  buy  the  field  whose  treasure  would  make  him 
rich,  and  the  parable  in  which  the  wail  of  disappointment  is  heard 
from  the  outer  darkness  are  side  by  side.  This  is  real  life  in  the  world 
of  spiritual  realities.  It  is  either  a  great  gain  or  a  great  loss.  There 
is  no  third  possibility. 


56         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  YU.—^tsvm  (tt  (Galilee  U6  propI)ct=|)caIcr  (Continued) 

First  Day:   The   Great  Wonder  on  the  Lake.    Mark  4:35-41; 
Matt.  8:23-27;  Luke  8:22-25. 

1.  Mark  now  records  in  quick  succession  four  great  wonders  that 
reveal  with  new  impressiveness  the  power  of  the  Prophet-healer.  It 
was  in  the  late  afternoon  of  a  day  when  Jesus  had  been  addressing 
the  crowds  on  the  seashore.  He  had  perhaps  been  speaking  from  the 
boat  (cf.  Mark  4:1),  and  a  good  many  other  boats  filled  with  eager 
listeners  had  been  allowed  to  drift  around  Jesus'  boat  in  order  that 
their  occupants  might  hear  Him  more  easily.  Jesus  was  tired  with 
long  speaking  in  the  open  air,  and  proposed  without  going  ashore  to 
sail  directly  across  the  lake  and  spend  the  night  away  from  the  crowds. 
A  night  in  the  open  was  probably  nothing  unusual  or  unpleasant. 
Jesus  lay  down  on  the  cushion  in  the  stern,  and  as  they  sailed  or  rowed 
out  into  the  lake,  was  soon  fast  asleep. 

Read  now,  noting  Mark's  extreme  and  characteristic  vividness, 
Mark  4:35-41.  What  did  Jesus  mean  by  the  last  question  In  v.  40? 
Confidence  that  He  was  the  Messiah  ?  Or  confidence  that  He  was 
a  Messiah  who  would  do  greater  things  than  were  currently  expected 
of  the  Messiah  ?    What  were  they  afraid  of  (v.  41)? 

Does  V.  41  imply  that  they  had  not  thought  Jesus  to  be  the  Messiah, 
or  that  they  had  not  expected  such  achievements  from  the  Messiah  ? 
Notice  that  in  Matt.  8:  27  this  exclamation  is  attributed  to  the  "men." 
Is  it  probable  that  this  designates  not  the  disciples,  but  the  people  in  the 
"other  boats  "of  Mark  4: 36  who  had  sailed  out  into  the  lake  with  Him  ? 

2.  Now  follows  an  Incident  described  with  abundance  of  vivid 
detail  In  which  Jesus  quiets  awful  confusion  In  the  realm  of  mind. 
Read  Mark  5: 1-20  in  preparation  for  the  detailed  study  of  the  para- 
graph to-morrow,  and  as  you  read  compel  your  Imagination  to  pro- 
duce for  you  the  picture  of  the  man  living  In  the  grave  chambers  hewn 
out  of  the  rocky  hillside,  raging  up  and  down  the  mountain-side,  gash- 
ing his  naked  body  with  sharp  stones,  and  making  the  fishermen  in 
the  boats  on  the  lake  at  night  shudder  as  they  heard  his  piercing  yells. 

Personal  Thought:  "Even  the  wind  and  the  sea  obey  Him."  Are 
you  troubled  by  Jesus*  nature  miracles  ?  Jesus*  life  was  prophetic 
of  much  that  has  since  happened  in  the  moral  triumphs  of  the  race. 
We  should  naturally  expect  Him  to  do  something  prophetic  also  of 
the  marvelous  triumphs  of  men  over  natural  forces  during  the  cen- 
turies since  He  lived. 


Studies  In  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         57 


Study  Yll.—^tsun  in  (0alilee  80  |)ropbet-'|)caIer  {Continued) 

Second  Day:    The   Great  Wonder  of  the  Gerasene  Demoniac. 
Mark  5:1-20;  Matt.  8:28-34;  Luke  8: 26-39 

1.  Read  Mark  5: 1 -20  once  more,  concentrating  attention  upon 
the  two  central  figures  as  they  draw  near  each  other  and  meet. 

2.  The  phenomenon  of  demoniacal  possession  is  a  perplexing  one. 
Its  principal  features  seem  to  have  been  (i)  always  some  degree  of 
mental  derangement  (cf.  John  10:  20)  or  mental  deficiency;  (2)  some- 
times in  addition  the  presence  of  some  physical  ailment  like  dumb- 
ness (Mark  9: 17);  (3)  in  the  case  described  here  in  Mark  5,  the 
ability  of  some  invisible  spirit  or  influence  to  pass  from  the  body  of 
a  man  to  the  bodies  of  the  lower  animals;  (4)  the  ability  to  recognize 
the  Messiahship  of  Jesus  when  it  was  yet  unknown  to  others.  Jesus 
seems  to  have  regarded  the  phenomenon  as  due  to  the  actual  pres- 
ence of  a  personal  evil  spirit  in  the  victim  distinct  from  the  victim's 
own  spirit.  It  is  sometimes  urged  that  Jesus  in  His  treatment  of 
these  cases  accommodated  His  language  to  what  was  really  only  a 
delusion  of  the  victim  in  order  that  He  might  more  effectively  cure 
the  victim.  But  even  in  His  private  conversation  with  His  disciples 
He  seems  to  assume  actual  demoniacal  possession  (Mark  9:28-29, 
Luke  10: 17-20),  and  to  have  felt  that  there  was  special  religious  sig- 
nificance in  His  power  to  cure  demoniacs  (Matt.  12:28-29).  Very 
likely  many  cases  of  simple  mental  derangement  with  which  demons 
had  nothing  to  do  were  supposed  by  the  people  to  be  demoniacal  pos- 
session, but  the  theory  that  no  malign  influence  outside  the  individual's 
own  personality  was  ever  operative  involves  some  difficulties. 

3.  Read  with  active  imagination  vv.  14-17.  The  population  on 
the  east  shore  was  largely  non-Jewish.  They  were  more  impressed 
by  the  carcasses  of  the  hogs  floating  in  the  lake  than  by  the  sight  of 
the  sane  man.    Why  did  they  wish  Jesus  to  leave  their  country  ? 

Christian  miracles  are  distinguished  from  grotesque  wonders  by 
the  fact  that  they  serve  some  moral  purpose.  Do  you  see  any  moral 
end  that  was  gained  by  this  wonder  ? 

Personal  Thought:  Jesus  made  this  man  the  evangelizer  of  the 
Ten-City  district  (5  :  20),  but  his  first  report  was  to  be  made  to  the 
members  of  his  own  family  who  had  so  long  tried  in  vain  to  care 
for  him  at  home  (v.  4).  Is  there  someone  among  your  close  friends 
who  might  rightly  expect  you  to  speak  to  him  of  your  experience  with 
Jesus,  someone  with  whom  you  have  never  talked  on  this  subject? 


58         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  VIL— STcfias  in  Galilee  afi  |Jrop[)rt-|)caIct  {Continutd) 

Third  Day:  The  Great  Wonder  in  the  Capernaum  Street.     Mark 
5:25-34;  Matt.  9:20-22;  Luke  9:43-48 

1.  The  night  on  the  eastern  shore,  with  the  exciting  incident  of 
the  Gerasene  demoniac,  probably  did  not  yield  Jesus  much  rest!  But 
it  brought  unspeakable  good  to  the  man  who  from  the  shore  with 
longing  eyes  (5:18)  watched  Jesus'  boat  sailing  back  again  to  the 
western  shore.  Possibly  Jesus'  boat  was  recognized  at  a  distance, 
and  Mark  5:21  and  Luke  8:40  describe  the  scene  that  awaited  Him 
when  He  landed.  Read  Mark  5:21-34.  What  is  there  in  this  street 
incident  that  makes  this  seem  more  wonderful  than  other  cures  ? 
The  character  of  the  woman's  disease  was  such  as  to  prevent  marriage, 
or  probably  to  have  occasioned  divorce  if  she  were  already  married, 
and  to  make  her  unwelcome  in  any  group  she  might  wish  to  join  (Lev. 
15: 19-30).  Her  sense  of  lonely  desperation  is  evident  in  the  strenu- 
ous efforts  she  had  been  making  for  years  to  be  cured.  Luke,  him- 
self a  physician,  does  not  bear  down  as  hard  upon  the  physicians 
(Luke  8: 43)  as  does  Peter  here  in  Mark  5: 26.  The  character  of  her 
disease  explains  her  desire  for  a  secret  cure. 

2.  What  light  does  this  incident  throw  upon  the  nature  of  "faith"  .? 
Especially,  what  is  the  relation  of  faith  to  evidence  (v.  27)  ?  The 
little  boy  told  his  Sunday-school  teacher  that  faith  consisted  in  be- 
lieving something  that  you  know  isn't  so.  Is  faith  exercised  against 
evidence.''     Is  it  exercised  beyond  evidence.^ 

Less  important  questions  are  these:  Did  Jesus  know  the  woman's 
condition  and  definitely  will  to  cure  her  .^  Or  was  His  knowledge 
confined  to  the  mere  consciousness  that  someone  had  been  helped  by 
touching  Him  ^ 

Personal  Thought:  "Go  in  peace."  Life  was  another  thing  to 
this  woman  as  she  slipped  away  through  the  crowd  to  her  home. 
Jesus  had  been  able  to  do  something  to  her  that  gave  her  physical 
strength  and  self-respect.  He  is  able  to  lay  in  our  lives  also  the  foun- 
dations of  an  eternal  self-respect  which  alone  can  give  lasting  peace. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         S9 


Study  VII.— ^feBttfi  in  Galilee  as  |prop|)et-.|)caler  {Continued) 

Fourth  Day:  The  Great  Wonder  in  the  Synagogue  Ruler's  House. 
Mark  5:21-24,  35-43;  Matt.  9:18-19,  23-26;  Luke  8:40-42, 
49-56 

This  desperate,  lonely  woman  was  not  the  only  one  in  the  waiting 
crowd  who  needed  help.  A  distinguished  citizen  was  in  sore  trouble. 
He  had  hurried  away  from  the  bedside  of  his  dying  daughter  in  the 
hope  that  he  might  find  Jesus.  He  had  waited  in  desperate  impa- 
tience for  the  boat  to  land,  and  when  He  reached  Jesus  he  told  Him 
that  his  daughter  was  probably  already  dead  (Matt.  9:  18).  He  was 
one  of  the  class  of  synagogue  presidents,  a  class  naturally  likely  to  be 
under  the  influence  of  the  hostile  rabbis.  Perhaps  he  was  an  excep- 
tion, or  perhaps  his  sense  of  great  need  overcame  his  natural  prejudice 
against  Jesus.  Read  Mark  5:21-43,  and  endeavor  as  you  read  to 
realize  the  feelings  of  the  father  and  the  feelings  of  Jesus. 

In  eastern  countries  burial  follows  soon,  and  sometimes  almost 
immediately,  after  death.  When  the  crowd  reached  the  house  the 
professional  mourners,  who  had  for  some  time  been  expecting  death, 
liad  already  begun  the  death  wail.  They  were  sure  that  the  little 
girl  was  really  dead  and  resented  Jesus'  apparent  reflection  upon 
their  professional  skill  (vv.  39-40).  Why  did  Jesus  take  only  three 
of  His  disciples  into  the  house  with  him  .?     Why  these  three  ? 

Palestine  was  a  bi-hngual  country,  and  Jesus  probably  spoke  both 
Greek  and  Aramaic.  It  would  be  especially  natural  to  address  the 
little  girl  in  the  vernacular  Aramaic  rather  than  in  Greek.  Mark, 
with  his  usual  vividness,  preserves  the  Aramaic  words  used  by  Jesus. 
Her  age  is  given  to  show  that  she  was  not  an  infant,  and  was  old 
enough  to  walk.  Jesus  betrays  no  self-conscious  sense  of  doing  the 
unusual  when  He  performs  His  miracles.  Note  the  evidence  of  this, 
particularly  in  the  last  clause  of  v.  43.  Why  should  He  direct  that 
food  be  given  to  her  ^.  Why  did  He  not  wish  what  He  had  done  to  be 
known  ?  (v.  43). 

Personal  Thought :  Jesus'  power  to  beget  volition  in  the  human 
spirit  is  strikingly  evident.  Here,  on  the  border-land  of  the  spirit- 
world,  he  stands  begetting  in  this  little  girl's  spirit  volition  to  return 
to,  or  revive  in,  the  body  in  which  the  processes  of  physical  life  seem 
to  have  ceased.  As  He  then  spoke  from  the  visible  to  the  invisible 
world,  so  now  He  speaks  from  the  invisible  into  the  visible  world,  and 
always  in  the  human  spirit's  own  vernacular. 


6o         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  VII.— STcfius  in  (Saltlcc  as  JJropl^ct=|)caIer  {Continued) 

Fifth  Day:  Jesus  Surprised  by  the  Coldness  of  His  Reception  in 
Nazareth.     Mark  6:  i-6;  Matt.  13:  54-58 

1.  Jesus,  proposing  to  avoid  the  popular  enthusiasm  developed  in 
Capernaum  by  His  four  great  wonders,  goes  back  into  the  interior 
of  the  province  to  His  home  town.  He  goes  to  Nazareth  where  He 
had  worked  at  His  trade  for  so  many  years,  now  a  famous  prophet 
with  disciples  who  look  to  Him  as  their  rabbi.  He  arrives  some  time 
during  the  week,  visits  in  the  homes  of  His  married  sisters  and  broth- 
ers, passes  here  and  there  the  houses  He  has  built,  and  on  the  Sabbath 
goes  into  the  old  synagogue  of  His  boyhood  days.  Read  Mark  6:  1-6 
with  active  imagination. 

The  word  "offended"  in  v.  3  means  "caused  to  stumble."  That 
is,  they  found  something  in  Jesus  that  tripped  them  like  the  trigger 
of  a  trap  and  so  snared  them  that  they  did  not  proceed  to  accord  Him 
the  welcome  which  He  received  elsewhere.  Why  did  not  the  villagers 
give  the  prophet  a  hearty  welcome  ?  What  was  probably  their  theory 
about  His  mighty  works — did  they  incline  to  the  Beelzebub  hy- 
pothesis ?  Notice  the  sad  situation  implied  in  the  last  words  of  v.  4. 
There  are  three  theories  regarding  Jesus'  sisters  and  brothers:  they 
were  His  full  brothers  and  sisters;  they  were  the  children  of  Joseph 
by  an  earlier  marriage  than  that  with  Mary;  or  they  were  His  cousins. 

2.  Find  in  Luke  4:16-30  another  account  of  the  visit  to  Nazareth. 
Very  likely  Jesus'  visit  to  Nazareth  included  at  least  two  Sabbaths, 
and  the  account  in  Luke  describes  what  took  place  on  the  last  Sabbath. 
A  period  of  activity  in  Capernaum  had  preceded  the  visit  described 
in  Luke  (Luke  4:23).  Luke  4:18-19  describes  in  a  most  interesting 
way  the  feelings  of  Jesus  as  He  taught  in  the  synagogue. 

3.  Does  "could  not"  (Mark  6:5)  mean  "would  not,"  or  literally 
"could  not"  .''  This  raises  the  question  whether  or  not  faith  was  psy- 
chologically necessary  to  the  operation  of  Jesus'  healing  power.  It 
accords  with  Mark's  vivid  and  direct  style  to  say  unequivocally  that 
Jesus  "marveled"  at  the  Nazareth  situation  (v.  6). 

Personal  Thought :  What  a  blessing  to  Nazareth,  to  its  sick  and 
discouraged,  to  its  little  children,  the  home-coming  of  Jesus  might 
have  been!  If  we  are  ever  tempted  to  be  jealous  we  need  to  remem- 
ber that  the  jealous  man  always  does  an  injury  to  his  own  nature, 
and  may  in  addition  deprive  himself  of  some  great  specific  good. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ        6i 


Study  VII.— STesttEi  in  (Galilee  act  propI)ct'-|)eaIer  (Continued) 

Sixth  Day:  Jesus  Begins  to  Employ  the  Twelve.     Mark  6:7-13; 
Matt.  10:5-15;  Luke  9:1-6 

1.  Jesus  now  begins  to  operate  more  extensively  and  sends  out  six 
pairs  of  men  for  work.  Presumably  this  work  was  in  Galilee.  Read 
Mark  6:7-13,  imagining  how  the  men  looked  and  what  they  taught 
in  each  village.  What  were  the  principal  things  they  were  to  ac- 
complish on  this  tour  .?  Why  did  Jesus  send  them  out  by  themselves  ? 
Do  you  see  any  advantage  in  sending  them  in  pairs  ?  What  do  you 
suppose  He  was  doing  Himself  in  the  meantime  f 

2.  Why  were  they  to  go  so  meagerly  equipped  ?  Possibly  one  rea- 
son was  that  they  might  by  their  very  appearance  impress  these  vil- 
lagers with  the  need  of  immediate  action.  It  was  a  picturesque  and 
symbolical  way  of  saying,  "The  Kingdom  of  God  is  at  hand!"  It 
was  as  though  a  man  without  hat  or  coat  or  shoes  should  ride  down 
the  valley  telling  the  villagers  that  the  reservoir  in  the  hills  had  broken 
its  banks.     Do  you  see  other  reasons  for  their  meager  equipment  ? 

They  were  not  to  go  from  house  to  house  engaging  in  the  protracted 
and  time-consuming  social  functions  of  the  oriental  village,  but  were 
to  stay  with  one  family  and  be  constantly  about  their  business  (v.  10), 
It  is  Matthew,  the  ex-publican,  who  notes  that  they  were  to  take  no 
fees  for  their  healing  (Matt.  10:8)! 

3.  If  any  village  did  not  receive  their  message  regarding  the  near- 
ness of  the  Kingdom,  they  were  to  employ  the  common  symbolism 
of  the  east  and  shake  off  every  particle  of  dust  from  their  sandals.  This 
would  show  that  they  regarded  the  village  as  doomed  and  wished  no 
particle  of  it  to  adhere  to  their  persons.  Their  action  and  dress  were 
suggestive  of  the  picturesque  symbolism  in  manner  and  dress  often 
employed  by  the  prophets  of  old.  Indeed,  these  men  were  very  like 
prophets  in  their  message  and  services.  Is  it  likely  that  they  pro- 
claimed the  Messiahship  of  Jesus .''  (Cf.  Mark  8:30).  Do  you  regard 
these  directions  as  of  permanent  application  to  evangelistic  effort 
to-day,  or  were  they  given  in  view  of  the  peculiarities  of  oriental  life 
and  the  situation  that  immediately  confronted  Jesus  ? 

Personal  Thought :  Have  you  ever  felt  the  strong  support  of  unity 
in  prayer  and  work  with  one  man  who  thoroughly  sympathized  with 
you  ?  To  find  such  a  person  and  begin  to  work  with  him  often 
marks  the  beginning  of  a  new  epoch  in  one's  experience  and  success. 


62         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  VII.— 3fcsufi  in  Sdililtt  ae;  J)ropI)ct=|)eaIcr  {Continued) 

Seventh  Day:   Jesus'  Inaugural  Address  to  the  Twelve.     Matt. 

10 : 16-42 

1.  Matthew,  who  gives  much  more  attention  to  the  discourses  of 
Jesus  than  Mark  does,  inserts  at  this  point  an  address  made  to  the 
Twelve  by  Jesus.  Matthew's  habit  seems  to  be  to  mass  discourses 
logically  related,  though  they  may  not  be  chronologically  related. 
Some  things  are  attributed  to  Jesus  in  this  address  that  were  very 
probably  said  later  to  the  Twelve  in  view  of  their  world-wide  work. 
It  is,  for  instance,  hardly  likely  that  Matt.  10:  18-21,  would  have  been 
spoken  just  before  this  toui  of  a  few  weeks  in  Galilee;  yet  of  course 
it  might  have  been.  Read  Matt.  10:  16-42  rapidly  through,  and  write 
out  a  brief  statement  of  its  dominant  idea.  Is  the  note  of  warning 
most  distinct .?     Or  of  hope  ^     Or  of  foreboding .'' 

2.  Now  read  the  address  through  more  slowly  with  reference  to 
the  following  points:  What  qualities  does  Jesus  want  to  see  in  them  ^ 
Make  a  list  of  the  motives  to  which  He  appeals  in  His  efforts  to  induce 
them  to  do  what  He  wants:  what  are  the  things  to  be  feared,  and 
what  are  the  things  to  be  hoped  for  .'* 

You  will  find  many  details  that  may  not  be  clear,  but  be  content 
to  get  the  general  impression  of  the  address. 

Personal  Thought :  "He  that  loveth  father  or  mother  more  than 
me  is  not  worthy  of  me."  Jesus'  unique  sense  of  His  own  prime  im- 
portance appears  clearly  in  this  brief  address  and  lifts  Him  up  out 
of  the  realm  of  the  mere  prophet.  His  own  worth  as  an  object  of 
affection  and  service  is  such  as  to  warrant  Him  in  asking  for  an  affec- 
tion beyond  that  given  to  a  man's  nearest  friends.  We  hesitate  to  ask 
for  the  friendship  of  another  lest  our  own  personalities  prove  to  be 
unequal  to  the  demands  that  may  be  made  upon  them  by  such  friend- 
ship. But  Jesus  knows  no  such  misgiving.  He  is  sure  of  the  re- 
sources of  His  own  personality.  Think  of  yourself  as  going  out  into  life 
to-day  sent  by  Him,  and  yield  yourself  wholly  to  Him. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ        6;^ 


Study  VIIL— Sfcstis  in  Galilee  ns  ptopj^et-l^caler  (Continued) 

First  Day:  Jesus'  Inaugural  Address  to  the  Twelve  (concluded). 
Matt.  lo :  16-42 

Follow  this  condensed  paraphrase  of  the  text  phrase  by  phrase  and 
answer  such  questions  as  are  occasionally  asked:  "I  send  you  out 
as  the  innocent  and  unresisting  among  the  savage  (v.  l6).  You  will 
have  to  deliver  your  message  before  courts  of  justice  often  in  the  non- 
Jewish  world  (17-18),  but  your  Father  will  suggest  your  defense  (19-20). 
Members  of  your  own  families  will  turn  against  you,  but  the  one  who 
has  endured  to  the  end  of  the  age  will  survive  in  the  Kingdom  of  God 
(21-22).  When  they  persecute  you  in  one  city  do  not  fight,  but  flee  for 
refuge  to  the  next,  and  you  will  not  be  without  refuge,  for  before  you 
have  fled  to  all  the  cities  of  Israel  I  shall  come  to  you  to  rescue  you  in 
judgment  upon  the  land  and  the  world  "  (v.  23).  Write  a  paraphrase  of 
vv.  24-25.  This  reference  to  the  Beelzebub  hypothesis  shows  how 
profoundly  Jesus  had  been  affected  by  the  slander  of  the  rabbis.  Recall 
again  Mark  3:28-29.  "Make  my  message  known  boldly  in  spite 
of  their  opposition"  (26-27).  Paraphrase  v.  28,  indicating  whether 
it  is  God  or  Satan  who  wrecks  both  soul  and  body  in  Gehenna.  Ex- 
press in  a  sentence  the  thought  of  vv.  29-33,  bringing  out  the  force  of 
"therefore"  in  v.  32.  "The  immediate  results  of  my  work  will  not 
be  peace,  but  the  most  painful  divisions,  even  in  the  family  (vv.  34-36). 
No  one  who  loves  another  better  than  he  loves  me,  no  one  who  is  un- 
willing to  follow  me  to  disgrace,  no  one  who  prefers  his  own  apparent 
interest  and  ease  to  association  with  me,  can  come  after  me  into  the  Hfe 
of  the  New  Order.  Those  who  come  after  me  with  unselfish  loyalty 
will  find  their  real  life  in  the  New  Order  (37-39).  Remember  your 
dignity,  who  you  are,  and  who  it  is  that  sends  you.  I  am  so  identi- 
fied with  you  that  whoever  receives  you  receives  me  and  the  Father 
who  sent  me.  I  shall  appreciate  any  attentions  shown  you.  Who- 
ever shows  kindness  to  a  prophet  gets  such  reward  as  a  prophet  can 
give;  whoever  shows  kindness  to  you  as  my  messengers  will  get  the 
rich  reward  that  I  can  give  in  the  New  Order"  (40-42). 

Personal  Thought :  Perhaps  Jesus  was  speaking  out  of  His  own 
experience  in  vv.  35-36.  Perhaps  His  brothers'  wives  had  become 
estranged  from  their  mother-in-law  because  of  Him.  Cf.  Mark  3:20, 
21.  If  it  happens  that  the  members  of  your  family  are  out  of  sym- 
pathy with  your  religious  life,  remember  that  Jesus  understands  such 
a  situation. 


64         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  VIII.— STtJitia  in  (Salilce  aei  Ij^va^W-ptaltx  (CoruinueJ) 

Second  Day:   The  Execution  of  the  Wilderness  Prophet.     Mark 
6:14-29;  Matt.  14:1-12;  Luke  9:7-9 

1.  Jesus  began  to  be  talked  about  even  at  Herod's  dinner-parties. 
The  effect  on  Herod  is  described  in  Mark  6: 14-16.  This  gives  Mark 
an  opportunity  to  insert  parenthetically  an  account  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist's tragic  execution.  The  tragedy  had  probably  occurred  earlier 
than  this  point  in  the  narrative.  The  solemn  strenuousness  of  Jesus' 
address  to  His  disciples  which  we  have  just  studied  (Matt.  10:16-42) 
may  be  due  to  the  fact  that  Jesus'  mind  was  deeply  moved  by  the 
death  of  His  friend  (cf  Matt.  11:7-11).  It  was  the  beginning  and 
prophecy  of  what  must  be  suffered  by  those  who  would  lead  in  the 
introduction  of  the  New  Order. 

The  principal  characters,  aside  from  the  wilderness  prophet,  are 
Herod,  a  sly,  crafty  man  (Luke  13:31-32),  somewhat  religious  in  his 
beliefs  (cf  Mark  6:14,  16,  20),  and  Herodias,  one  of  the  beautiful 
women  of  the  Herodian  family,  ambitious,  and  therefore  easily  tempted 
to  abandon  her  own  husband,  a  private  citizen,  and  become  the  wife 
of  his  brother  the  Tetrarch.  According  to  the  lax  views  of  the  day, 
especially  in  royal  circles,  it  made  no  difference  that  Herodias  was 
the  niece  of  both  men.  A  subordinate  character  is  the  daughter  of 
Herodias  by  her  earlier  marriage,  probably  a  beautiful  girl  who  con- 
sented to  do  the  voluptuous  dance  of  the  dancing-girls  for  her  step- 
father's guests.  The  scene  is  the  great  banquet-hall  of  the  castle  of 
Machaerus,  high  up  among  the  crags  of  Moab,  east  of  the  Dead  Sea. 
In  another  part  of  the  castle  is  the  wilderness  prophet,  a  prisoner,  still 
reading  his  roll  of  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah,  dreaming  of  his  vision  of 
the  coming  Kingdom,  and  hoping  for  deliverance. 

2.  Read  Mark  6:14-29  with  active  imagination.  What  light  do 
vv.  14-15  throw  on  the  question.  Was  Jesus  at  the  time  generally 
thought  to  be  a  Messianic  aspirant  ?  What  bearing  on  the  same  point 
has  the  fact  that  John  the  Baprist  still  retained  "disciples"  (v.   29).'' 

Personal  Thought :  Read  vv.  27-28.  Imagine  the  spiteful  woman 
and  her  daughter  looking  at  the  ghastly  head  and  blood-clotted  hair 
of  the  great  prophet.  What  an  end  for  the  greatest  of  God's  prophets! 
A  bad  man  is  made  over  into  a  loyal  son  of  God,  and  a  bad  world 
is  made  over  into  the  Kingdom  of  God,  only  through  suffering,  and 
to  each  one  who  would  give  himself  with  abandon  to  the  enterprise 
some  measure  of  the  suffering  will  be  meted  out. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ        65 


Study  VIII. —ST^Btts  in  0aUUe  as  J^xa}^l\tt'^tnltv  (Continued) 

Third  Day:  Jesus'  Compassion  for  the  Hungry  Crowds  Leads 
to  a  Great  Wonder.  Mark  6:30-46;  Matt.  14:13-23;  Luke 
9:10-17 

1.  With  Mark  6:29  the  parenthetical  account  of  John  the  Baptist's 
execution  ends,  and  in  v.  30  the  narrative  returns  to  the  six  pairs  of 
apostles  who  had  been  sent  out  in  v.  7.  Read  v.  30,  imagining  what 
sort  of  things  they  had  to  report.  Notice  in  v.  31  Jesus'  considerate 
appreciation  of  the  strain  to  which  they  had  been  subjected  in  this 
first  independent  work.  Perhaps  another  motive  also  operated,  be- 
cause that  which  Jesus  "heard"  in  Matt.  14:13  is  probably  that  Herod 
was  beginning  to  turn  a  sinister  eye  upon  Him  (cf.  Matt.  14:1-2)  and 
He  thought  it  wise  to  withdraw.  Read  vv.  32-33.  What  was  it  in 
the  situation  of  these  people  on  the  hillside  that  stirred  Jesus'  heart  (v. 
34)?  What  did  He  probably  "teach"  them  all  day  long?  Did  he 
address  them  all  at  once .''  In  small  groups  ?  Or  in  individual 
conversation  ?  Notice  according  to  John  6:4  that  these  crowds  from 
"all  the  cities"  (Mark  6:33)  were  probably  on  their  way  to  the  great 
religious  festival  in  Jerusalem. 

Read  Mark  6:35-44  and  answer  these  questions:  Why  did  Jesus 
perform  this  wonder .''  That  is,  did  He  have  chiefly  in  mind  the 
hunger  of  the  people,  or  the  effect  of  the  wonder  on  the  disciples, 
or  what  ? 

2.  One  shrinks  from  "spiritualizing"  these  narratives  beyond 
the  intent  of  their  author.  Probably  one  does  not  go  beyond  proper 
bounds  in  noticing  that  Jesus  made  His  apostles  feel  responsibility 
for  feeding  the  crowd  (v.  37);  made  them  take  account  of  all  their 
resources  (v.  38);  made  them  bring  all  their  very  meager  resources 
to  Him  (v.  41);  and  then  through  His  blessing  made  these  resources 
more  than  adequate  to  the  need  (vv.  42-43).  The  five  thin  cakes  of 
bread  and  the  two  little  dried  fish  answered  abundantly.  John  6:9 
adds  an  interesting  detail. 

Personal  Thought :  "He  gave  to  the  disciples  to  set  before  them." 
The  supreme  values  that  we  have  to  give  our  friends  are  the  things 
that  come  to  us  from  association  with  Jesus  Christ.  Whether  we 
have  much  to  offer  them  day  by  day  depends  upon  what  we  are  get- 
ting of  thought  and  inspiration  day  by  day  from  Him.  The  more 
we  give,  the  more  we  have.  When  the  crowd  was  satisfied,  each 
apostle  found  his  own  basket  full  (v.  43), 


66         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  VIII.— Sfesac;  in  (Salilfc  as  |}rapl)ft=||)ealcr  (Continued) 

Fourth   Day:   Jesus'  Goes  to  His  Disciples  on  the  Water.    Mark 
6:47-56;  Matt.  14:24-36 

1.  Mark  inserts  next  a  paragraph  (6:45-52)  which,  like  the  para- 
graph 1:16-20,  implies  a  situation  that  it  does  not  describe.  The 
intensity  of  the  Greek  word  translated  "constrain"  in  v.  45  impresses 
one  as  strange.  He  eagerly  drove  His  disciples  into  the  boat,  hastened 
them  off  to  meet  Him  at  a  point  farther  around  the  shore,  personally 
dismissed  the  crowds,  and  slipped  away  alone  to  the  hilltop.  Read 
Mark  6:45-46.  The  narrative  in  John,  to  which  we  shall  come  again 
later,  shows  that  the  situation  was  critical  and  that  only  by  the  prompt 
and  decisive  action  here  described  did  Jesus  avert  a  crisis.  Read 
John  6:14-15. 

Read  Mark  6:47-52,  picturing  Jesus  alone  on  the  hilltop  looking 
out  in  the  moonlight  or  the  morning  twilight  towards  the  disciples  on 
the  lake  trying  in  vain  to  make  headway  against  the  strong  wind  that 
bends  the  trees  about  Jesus  and  beats  the  boat  back  in  its  course. 
Bearing  in  mind  the  general  situation  at  this  time,  what  was  Jesus 
probably  praying  about.?     Remember  Mark  6:34  and  John  6:14-15. 

2.  Notice  carefully  what  the  paragraph  says  regarding  the  motive 
that  led  Jesus  to  walk  out  to  the  disciples  upon  the  water.  He  ap- 
parently was  going  on  before  them  to  still  the  storm  in  advance  of  the 
boat  when  they  cried  out  to  Him.  Read  in  Matt.  14:28-31  the  inter- 
esting episode  which  we  should  naturally  expect  to  find  here  in  Peter's 
own  Gospel.  Matthew  also  records  the  fact  (14:33)  that  the  disciples 
addressed  Jesus  as  the  Messiah.  They  perhaps  had  in  mind  what 
they  had  just  heard  the  crowds  saying  of  Jesus  (John  6: 14-15).  Mark 
6:52  says  that  they  were  slow  to  enlarge  their  Messianic  conception 
and  were  more  surprised  than  they  ought  to  have  been  in  view  of  the 
miracle  of  the  bread. 

Read  Mark  6:53-56,  which  describes  vividly  Jesus'  popularity  in 
all  country  districts  as  well  as  cities.  Perhaps  the  author  had  in 
mind  the  sharp  contrast  to  be  presented  by  his  next  paragraph. 

Personal  Thought :  We  do  not  sufficiently  realize  that  Jesus'  mira- 
cles were  the  spontaneous  expression  of  power  in  the  presence  of  need. 
He  did  not  perform  "miracles"  with  the  apologetic  purpose  of  im- 
pressing unborn  generations.  Now  as  then,  it  is  the  commonplace 
needs  of  men  that  appeal  to  Him  and  may  be  brought  to  Him  in  prayer. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ        67 


Study  WlU.Stfins  in  (Salikt  as  |)ropl^et=|)raIcr  {Continued) 

Fifth  Day  :  Jesus  the  Revelation  of  the  Father  to  All  the  Weary. 
Matt.  II :  25-30;  Luke  lo :  21-24 

There  is  one  great  word  of  Jesus  which  might  well  have  been  spoken 
about  this  time  when,  in  the  performance  of  these  mighty  wonders, 
He  is  full  of  the  sense  of  being  empowered  by  the  Father,  when  human 
need  (cf.  Mark  6:34)  is  pressing  upon  Him  at  every  point,  and  when 
His  disciples  have  just  been  able  to  multiply  His  activities  (Mark  6:30). 

Read  Matt.  11 :  25-30.  Jesus  rejoices  here  first  of  all  that  His  own 
disciples,  drawn  from  the  uneducated  classes  which  the  rabbis  called 
"babes"  (cf.  Rom.  2:20),  have  in  their  recent  tour  shown  themselves 
honored  of  God  above  the  rabbis  (v.  25).  He  expresses  His  own 
sense  of  being  empowered  by  His  Father  to  inaugurate  the  Messianic 
age  (v.  27).  He  possesses  a  unique  sense  of  being  one  whom  the 
Father  alone  knows  and  understands,  and  who  alone  knows,  and  has 
the  ability  to  make  known,  the  Father  (v.  27).  Then  out  of  a  heart 
full  of  compassion  for  needy  men.  He  proposes  to  share  with  them 
His  knowledge  of  the  Father.  He  "willeth  to  reveal  Him"  (v.  27) 
to  all  the  weary  and  the  needy  (v.  28).  He  expresses  His  intense 
desire  in  language  suggestive  of  the  rabbis,  who  were  said  to  put  a 
"yoke"  upon  their  disciples.  It  is  He,  and  not  the  famous  rabbis, 
who  can  put  a  "yoke"  of  discipleship  upon  all  the  poor  that  will  give 
them  contentment  and  rest. 

It  is  such  a  wonderful  outburst  of  Jesus'  personal  consciousness  in 
the  privacy  of  His  own  inner  circle  that  prepares  us  for  the  revelation 
of  the  Messianic  consciousness  which  Jesus  now  conceals  from  the 
public,  but  which  in  the  preliminary  reading  of  the  Gospel  we  found 
Him  making  at  the  end  of  His  life.  Such  an  expression  of  His 
personal  consciousness  also  makes  us  feel  that  the  great  wonders  attrib- 
uted to  Him  in  these  chapters  are  congruous.  We  should  expect  them 
of  such  a  personality  as  is  revealed  in  this  wonderful  utterance. 

Personal  Thought:  "I  thank  thee,  O  Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and 
earth,  that  thou  .  .  .  didst  reveal  them  unto  babes"  (Luke  10:21). 
Jesus  was  profoundly  grateful  for  what  it  had  become  evident  His 
disciples  could  do.  In  their  achievements  during  the  past  few  weeks 
He  had  seen  "Satan  fall  as  lightning  from  heaven"  (Luke  10:17-19). 
Have  you  sufficiently  reahzed  the  latent  possibility  of  achievement 
that  you  as  a  disciple  of  Jesus  possess,  and  the  eager  confidence  with 
which  Jesus  looks  upon  your  life? 


68         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  VIII.— ^cJittB  in  (SaliUi-  ae  J)ropI)et=|)EaIer  ( C5»//«a<ri) 

Sixth    Day:    Jesus'  Attack  upon  the  Rabbis'  Tradition.     Mark 
7:1-23;  Matt.  15:1-20 

1.  The  "tradition"  was  the  inherited  explanation  of  the  law.  The 
later  view  of  its  origin  was  that  God  gave  it  on  Mt.  Sinai,  either  in 
written  or  oral  form,  but  that  much  of  it  was  afterward  lost  and  had 
to  be  restored  by  the  rabbis.  The  older  view  was  that  God  gave  simply 
the  law  on  Mt.  Sinai,  which  involved  the  "tradition,"  or  that  He  gave 
orally  the  leading  principles  of  the  tradition.  Practically,  the  tradi- 
tion was  regarded  as  more  important  than  Scripture,  because  tradition 
contained  all  the  precepts  of  the  law  in  the  form  in  which  they  had 
to  be  obeyed  in  order  to  secure  salvation.  An  instance  of  the  tra- 
dition was  the  requirement  that  persons  coming  from  the  market 
where  they  might  have  involuntarily  touched  persons  or  things  con- 
nected with  pagan  worship,  or  other  religiously  defiling  objects,  must 
purify  themselves. 

2.  Read  Mark  7:1-5,  noting  where  the  rabbis  came  from  and 
what  their  charge  was.  Perhaps  they  had  heard  from  the  Passover 
pilgrims  (John  6:4)  of  the  movement  to  make  Jesus  declare  Himself 
to  be  the  Messiah,  and  had  come  to  the  northern  province  to  oppose 
it.  Jesus,  instead  of  defending  Himself  at  the  immediate  point  of 
attack,  turned  upon  them  and  attacked  their  devotion  to  the  entire 
system  of  tradition.  Read  vv.  6-13.  What  is  the  ground  on  which 
Jesus  criticises  their  tradition  ? 

It  was  possible  for  a  man  to  say  that  a  piece  of  property  was  "  Kor- 
ban"  or  "given  to  God"  so  far  as  a  certain  person  was  concerned, 
meaning  by  this  not  that  the  property  would  actually  be  given  to 
the  temple,  but  only  that  so  far  as  the  person  mentioned  was  con- 
cerned, the  property  was  to  be  considered  as  though  given  to  the  tem- 
ple. The  reference  here  is  to  a  person  who  pronounces  "Korban" 
over  all  his  property  so  far  as  his  father  is  concerned  (v.  11),  thus 
casting  oflF  all  responsibility  for  his  father's  support.  Apparently  he 
was  then  not  allowed  to  reassume  his  father's  support  if  he  wished 
to  do  so  (v.  12).  What  is  hypocrisy,  and  in  what  did  the  hypocrisy 
of  the  rabbis  (v.  6)  consist  ? 

Personal  Thought :  The  correspondence  between  lips  and  heart 
(v.  6),  word  and  thought,  seemed  to  Jesus  to  be  absolutely  essential 
to  righteousness.  What  a  man  says,  that  he  must  mean;  what  he 
would  seem  to  be,  that  he  must  be. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ        6^ 


Study  VIIL— SfesttS  in  Galilee  a0  prop()et-|^eaIer  {Concluded) 

Seventh  Day:  Jesus'  Attack  upon  the  Rabbis'  Tradition  (con- 
cluded).    Mark  7:1-23;  Matt.  15:1-20 

1.  After  showing  the  rabbis  the  hideous  inconsistency  of  their 
"tradition,"  He  turned  to  the  crowds  and  pubHcly  denounced  one  of 
the  prominent  principles  of  the  rabbis'  teaching,  namely,  that  men  were 
religiously  contaminated  by  eating  certain  kinds  of  food.  Even 
His  disciples  were  surprised  at  His  views  on  this  point.  Read  Mark 
7:14-23.  The  last  clause  of  v.  19  (R.  V.)  is  a  comment  added  by  the 
author,  and  indicates  that  by  the  time  this  Gospel  was  written  Chris- 
tians had  realized  that  the  rabbinical  distinctions  between  "clean" 
and  "unclean"  meats  were  abrogated.  Peter  had  not  realized  this 
as  early  as  the  experience  in  Acts  10:14.  What  seems  to  you  to  be 
the  fundamental  difference  between  Jesus'  conception  of  religion 
and  that  of  the  rabbis  as  revealed  in  this  attack  upon  them  ? 

2.  Review  the  progress  in  the  Gospel  narrative  that  has  been  brought 
to  light  in  the  study  thus  far.  In  order  to  do  this  glance  rapidly  over 
the  titles  of  the  daily  studies  during  the  last  eight  weeks. 

Personal  Thought :  Jesus  esteemed  the  great  things  of  life  to  be 
the  commonplace  things.  No  religious  system,  no  matter  how  gor- 
geous its  paraphernalia,  how  refined  its  metaphysical  distinctions, 
or  how  minute  its  rules  of  righteousness,  could  stand  before  Him  for 
a  moment  if  it  failed  in  the  simple  point  of  honor  to  parents.  Religion 
and  life  were  inseparable,  and  life  was  at  its  fullest  in  such  elemental 
personal  relationships  as  those  between  parent  and  child.  Have  you 
ever  definitely  reflected  upon  what  is  due  the  parent  from  the  child, 
and  carefully  considered  whether  you  are  really  "honoring"  your 
father  and  mother  ?    What  is  it  to  "  honor"  a  person  ? 


70         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  IX.— SfcBttfi  ©otfiiHe  (Galilee  ^nfitructing;  tl)c  ^WM 

First  Day:    Jesus  has  a  Significant   Interview  with   a   Foreign 
Woman  in  S5rro-Phoenicia.     Mark  7:24-30;  Matt.  15:21-28 

1.  The  seclusion  which  Jesus  had  sought  on  the  eastern  shore  of 
the  lake  (cf.  Mark  6:31)  He  had  not  found.  Take  the  map  and  see 
how  far  away  from  the  province  of  Galilee  He  now  traveled  (Mark 
7:24).  He  evidently  tried  to  take  lodgings  quietly  and  escape  obser- 
vation, but  it  was  impossible.  Where  had  Jews  from  Tyre  and  Sidon 
seen  Him  before  (cf.  Mark  3:8).?  A  Greek-speaking  native  of  the 
country  had  in  some  way  heard  of  Him.  She  was  a  very  bright,  quick- 
witted woman,  and  was  now  in  great  sorrow  because  of  the  blight 
that  had  fallen  upon  the  life  of  her  little  daughter.  Read  the  inci- 
dent as  described  in  Mark  7:24-30,  and  try  to  answer  these  two  ques- 
tions: Why  did  Jesus  at  first  refuse  to  cure  her  daughter.''  Why  did 
He  finally  consent  to  cure  her?  The  term  "dogs"  may  have  been 
caught  up  as  the  term  usually  applied  by  the  rabbis  to  foreigners  (cf. 
Phil.  3:2).  Indeed,  the  figure  of  the  Jews  at  the  banquet-table  and 
the  foreigners  as  dogs  in  the  outer  darkness  may  have  been  more  or 
less  common. 

2.  Matthew  represents  her  as  calling  Jesus  by  the  Messianic  title, 
"David's  Son."  Perhaps  she  had  heard  rumors  that  Jesus  was  a 
Messianic  aspirant  and  her  quick  wit  may  have  suggested  to  her,  as 
someone  has  said,  that  she  could  please  the  prophet  and  gain  her  end 
by  addressing  Him  as  the  Messiah.  Read  Matt.  15:21-28.  Did  the 
disciples  in  v.  23  ask  Jesus  to  grant  her  request  and  so  be  rid  of  her, 
or  to  send  her  peremptorily  away  without  granting  it  ?  In  Mark  7:27 
do  you  see  one  word  that  might  have  given  her  encouragement .? 

3.  This  is  a  very  significant  incident  because,  side  by  side  with 
Jesus'  consciousness  of  a  special  mission  to  His  own  nation,  there 
appears  a  readiness  to  extend  His  activity  beyond  the  limits  of  His 
own  nation. 

Personal  Thought:  "She  came  and  worshipped  Him,  saying.  Lord 
help  me."  This  woman's  sense  of  desperate  need  was  her  incentive. 
Perhaps  you  have  already  had,  or  will  sometime  have,  in  a  battle  with 
temptation  such  a  sense  of  desperate  need  as  your  incentive.  Do  not 
hesitate  to  let  it  lead  you  to  worship  Him,  to  surrender  to  Him  as 
the  Lord  of  your  life.  Some  want  Jesus  as  a  Saviour,  but  not  as  a 
Lord,  and  this  cannot  be. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ        71 


Study  lX.—^tm&  ©otfiiUe  Galilee  ^nattnttins  tl^e  Ciuclue 

Second  Day:   Jesus  in  the  Ten-City  District  has  Compassion  on 
the  Sick  and  the  Hungry.     Mark  7:31-8:9;  Matt.  15:29-38 

1.  Jesus  goes  south  and  east  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee  into  the  Ten- 
City  district  (Decapolis),  a  federation  of  cities  formed  about  63  B.C., 
when  Pompey  freed  them  from  Jewish  control.  Read  Mark  7:31, 
then  read  Matt.  15:29-31.  Is  this  streaming  of  the  population  to 
Jesus  from  hamlet  and  city  at  all  explained  by  the  statement  in  Mark 
5:19-20?  Read  in  Mark  7:32-37  an  instance  of  Jesus' activity.  In 
V.  ;^^  note  the  two  peculiarities  of  Jesus'  method  of  procedure.  The 
first  is  in  accord  with  what  has  already  been  noted  in  Mark  7:24. 
Why  did  Jesus  seek  privacy  at  this  time  ?  Perhaps  this  unusual  use 
of  means  (v.  ^^)  was  due  to  the  fact  that  the  man's  faith  needed  de- 
veloping. Because  he  was  deaf  he  had  had  no  such  opportunity  to 
develop  faith  as  that  emphasized  in  Mark  3:8,  5:27.  Perhaps  also 
the  "looking  up  to  heaven"  (v.  34)  was  a  kind  of  sign  language  which 
the  man  could  understand  and  be  encouraged  by.  What  was  it  in  the 
situation  that  drew  the  "sigh"  from  Jesus  ?  Perhaps  v.  ^7  represents 
the  protest  of  these  Decapolis  Jews  against  the  Beelzebub  hypothesis  of 
the  rabbis  from  Jerusalem,  if  that  hypothesis  was  known  in  this  region. 

2.  In  Mark  8:1-9  we  come  upon  a  second  wonderful  relief  of  the 
hungry  by  Jesus.  Read  the  paragraph.  The  motive  for  the  miracle 
is  most  distinctly  brought  out  in  vv.  2-3.  Jesus  is  not  moved  by  apol- 
ogetic considerations,  that  is,  He  is  not  consciously  trying  to  prove 
Himself  to  be  someone.  Yet  the  spontaneous  expression  of  compas- 
sionate power  is  in  itself  of  the  greatest  apologetic  value.  Perhaps 
the  question  in  v.  4  seems  strange  in  view  of  their  previous  experi- 
ence (Mark  6:35-44),  but  it  may  have  seemed  to  them  that  this  was 
a  natural  way  to  secure  a  repetition  of  that  experience.  The  oriental 
does  not  always  broach  a  subject  with  the  brutal  directness  of  the 
Anglo-Saxon! 

Personal  Thought :  "They  cast  them  down  at  His  feet  and  He 
healed  them"  (Matt.  15:30).  The  most  we  can  do  for  our  friends  in 
introducing  them  to  the  high  values  of  the  Christian  Hfe  is  to  bring 
them  to  the  point  where  they  shall  have  spiritual  contact  with  the  per- 
sonality of  Jesus.  We  can  kneel  with  them  there,  but  it  is  He  who 
must  evidence  Himself  to  them  and  give  them  help  in  His  own  way, 


72         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  IX.— STcfiofi  ©utfiiiBe  (Salilcc  3rn0tractina:  tl)c  QTtodtjr 

Third  Day  :  Jesus'  Solicitude  for  the  Inner  Circle.    Mark  8 :  10-21 ; 
Matt.  16: 1-12 

1.  As  we  have  seen,  Jesus  is  keeping  away  from  the  province  of 
Galilee.  Read  Mark  8:  10-13  ^'^^  ^"  account  of  an  ominously  brief 
visit  to  the  Galilean  shore  of  the  lake.  A  company  of  local  rabbis 
visit  Him  and  ask  for  a  "sign  from  heaven,"  whether  a  sign  that  He 
is  a  prophet  from  God,  or  that  He  is  the  Messiah,  or  that  the  King- 
dom is  at  hand  as  He  has  represented,  is  not  certain.  They  ask  it 
"testing  Him."  It  was  the  custom  of  the  rabbis  (perhaps  at  a  later 
period)  to  ask  from  each  other  when  any  new  view  was  presented 
that  a  voice  from  heaven  should  give  some  word  of  corroboration,  or 
that  a  tree  should  move  from  its  place.  The  rabbis'  conception  of 
religion  was  one  that  largely  divorced  kindness  from  religion,  and 
therefore  Jesus'  exhibitions  of  wonderful  power  exercised  under  the 
compulsion  of  compassion  did  not  meet  the  technical  demands  of  the 
rabbis  for  some  cheaper  grotesque  "sign."  But  such  a  sign  would 
not  have  constituted  the  revelation  of  the  character  of  God  which 
Jesus  conceived  to  be  His  chief  business  as  Messiah.  Jesus  "sighed" 
(v.  12)  in  a  way  that  impressed  His  disciples.  What  emotion  caused 
it.? 

2.  As  they  were  sailing  away  from  the  Galilean  shore  Jesus  spoke 
with  solemn  impressiveness  about  some  great  danger  that  threatened 
the  inner  circle.  In  His  usual  enigmatic  style  He  called  it  the  "leaven 
of  the  Pharisees  and  Herod."  The  disciples,  noticing  that  they  had 
forgotten  to  buy  provisions  in  Galilee,  thought  that  he  was  slyly  hint- 
ing at  the  fact  that  they  seemed  to  have  been  wary  of  buying  bread 
in  the  Galilean  market  of  Herod  and  the  Pharisees.  Jesus  spoke 
severely  to  them  about  their  lack  of  a  sense  of  danger,  but  did  not 
explain  what  He  meant.  Read  Mark  8:14-21.  The  question  that 
arises  here  is,  what  was  it  in  the  attitude  of  the  rabbis  and  Herod 
that  was  in  danger  of  spreading  like  yeast  in  meal,  even  among  the 
inner  circle  of  disciples  themselves  ? 

That  in  the  Pharisees  which  Jesus  disapproved  is  naturally  to  be 
looked  for  in  their  recent  interview  with  him.  There  they  had  ap- 
peared to  feel  more  kindly  towards  Him  than  they  really  did.  They 
did  not  denounce  Him  as  the  Jerusalem  rabbis  had  done,  and  came 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ        73 


asking  for,  and  apparently  ready  for,  some  sign.  That  is,  they  had 
been  hypocritical.  In  Luke  12:1  Jesus  distinctly  states  that  the  leaven 
of  the  Pharisees  was  hypocrisy.  It  seems  strange  at  first  to  class 
Herod  with  the  rabbis  in  this  particular.  But  Mark  has  hinted  in  3:6 
that  there  was  some  understanding  between  them.  Luke  23:8  states 
that  Herod  had  expressed  interest  in  Jesus,  though  at  heart  he  would 
probably  have  been  glad  to  see  Him  disposed  of.  So  an  honest  Phari- 
see once  informed  Jesus  (Luke  13:31-32).  Jesus  recognized  that 
Herod  was  a  sly,  fox-like  man.  Perhaps  Jesus  knew  that  the  inner 
circle  were  in  danger  of  falling  into  this  Pharisaic  and  Herodian  atti- 
tude of  insincerity.  We  know  from  John's  Gospel  6 :  60,  66  that  Jesus 
had  already  been  a  disappointment  to  many  of  His  disciples.  Mark 
has  noted  that  Jesus'  own  family  were  disappointed  in  Him  (3:20). 

The  inner  circle  had  seen  Him  throw  away  the  chance  to  be  crowned 
king  (John  6:14-15).  John  the  Baptist  had,  with  characteristic  frank- 
ness, stated  his  own  doubt  directly  to  Jesus  (Matt.  11:2-6).  Just 
now  the  inner  circle  were  in  danger  of  continuing  to  associate  with 
Him  as  though  full  of  confidence  in  Him,  although  in  their  hearts  they 
were  beginning  to  doubt,  especially  since  John  the  Baptist's  execution, 
whether  anything  would  come  of  His  plans.  Perhaps  Judas'  treachery 
was  beginning  to  develop  in  the  hypocritical  secrecy  of  His  own  heart. 

According  to  a  somewhat  different  interpretation,  we  see  in  Jesus' 
warning  an  allusion  to  the  current  misconception  of  the  coming  King- 
dom of  Heaven  which  could  look  for  evidence  in  any  such  "signs" 
as  the  Pharisees  had  just  asked  for  rather  than  in  such  deeds  as  Jesus 
had  just  been  doing.  The  inclusion  of  Herod  with  the  rabbis  seems 
rather  less  natural  upon  this  supposition  than  upon  the  other.  Matthew, 
who  mentions  the  Sadducees  instead  of  Herod  (Matt.  16:6),  says  that 
Jesus  had  in  mind  the  "teaching"  of  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees 
(Matt.  16:12).  Perhaps  Jesus  had  both  the  hypocritical  spirit  and 
the  religious  teaching  in  mind,  for  they  were  intimately  connected. 

Personal  Thought :  "Beware  of  the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees,  which 
is  hypocrisy"  (Luke  12:1).  Insincerity  is  contagious.  It  is  not  easy 
to  be  frank  with  a  person  who  is  not  frank  with  you.  His  insincerity 
naturally  tends  to  infect  you  as  yeast  leavens  meal.  It  is  only  one's 
daily  intimacy  with  the  honest  Spirit  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  "Spirit  of 
Truth,"  that  is  adequate  to  prevent  the  contagion  of  insincerity. 


74         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  IX.—'^tsine  ©atfiiUe  (Balilce  Sfnctrurtinff  t[)c  CtoclDc 

Fourth  Day:    The  Inner  Circle    Call  Jesus  the  Messiah.    Mark 
8:27-30;  Matt.  16:13-20;  Luke  9:18-21 

1.  At  a  point  presumably  on  the  northeast  shore  of  the  lake,  Jesus 
gave  sight  to  a  blind  man.  Read  Mark  8:22-26,  noticing  the  two 
evidences  that  Jesus  tried  to  keep  the  matter  strictly  secret.  Here 
again  appears  the  use  of  means  (cf.  7-33)>  ^nd  also  a  gradualness  of 
cure  that  is  unusual.  Perhaps  the  blind  man  had  been  brought  be- 
cause of  the  faith  of  his  friends  rather  than  because  of  his  own,  and 
needed  to  have  his  faith  developed.  The  gradualness  of  his  cure 
may  have  corresponded  to  the  gradual  development  of  his  faith. 

2.  Now  Jesus  takes  the  inner  circle  on  another  long  excursion  (cf. 
7:24),  this  time  far  to  the  northeast,  near  Mt.  Hermon.  Consult  the 
map.  He  keeps  them  in  suburban  villages  rather  than  in  the  city, 
and  in  this  comparative  seclusion,  which  Jesus  seems  to  have  distinctly 
planned,  a  great  climax  is  reached.  Read  Mark  8:27-30.  He  first 
of  all  brings  out  the  fact  that  popular  opinion  does  not  regard  Him 
as  the  Messiah.  The  element  in  the  nation  that  is  favorable  to  Him 
will  say  no  more  than  that  He  is  the  reincarnation  of  some  great 
prophet,  or  perhaps  that  the  spirit  of  some  great  prophet  has  entered 
into  His  body,  as  in  an«evil  way  evil  spirits  were  thought  to  enter 
bodies.  He  then  frankly,  and  with  searching  directness  asks  them 
the  question  that  He  seems  never  to  have  put  to  them  before,  namely, 
"Who  do  you  think  I  am?"  Peter  replies  that  he  considers  Jesus 
to  be  the  Messiah.  According  to  Matthew,  Jesus  greeted  this  reply 
with  an  outburst  of  enthusiastic  appreciation.  Read  Matt.  16: 17-19. 
The  great  question  to  ask  here  is,  Do  the  inner  circle  now  for  the 
first  time  conclude  that  Jesus  is  the  Messiah  ?  If  so,  what  had  they 
thought  Him  to  be  when  they  first  became  His  disciples  ?  Various 
answers  may  be  given  to  these  questions.  If  the  ground  of  Jesus' 
solicitude  regarding  the  inner  circle  advanced  in  yesterday's  study 
be  true,  then  Jesus  here  probes  deeply  into  the  very  heart  of  their 
threatened  hypocrisy  and  says  to  them,  "If  you  have  doubts  regarding 
my  Messiahship,  speak  them  frankly  out.  Who  do  you  really  think 
I  am  ?"  According  to  John's  Gospel  (i : 40-42,  45,  49),  some  at  least 
of  these  men  had  originally  gathered  about  Jesus  thinking  Him  to 
be  the  Messiah.  Matthew  (14:33)  has  reported  them  to  have  thought 
Him  to  be  the  Messiah.  The  reason  for  Jesus'  outburst  of  appre- 
dation  over  Peter's  statement  would  then  be  His  satisfaction  in  find- 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ        75 


ing  that,  though  so  many  have  abandoned  the  theory  of  His  Messiah- 
ship  (John  6:60,  66),  the  inner  circle  still  faithfully  believe  Him  to  be 
the  Messiah. 

3.  Examine  Jesus'  famous  response  to  Peter  in  Matt.  16:17-19. 
That  Peter  still  believed  Him  to  be  the  Messiah,  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  Jesus  had  done  so  many  things  that  seemed  un-Messiah-like,  is 
due  to  special  enlightenment  from  God.  Since  Simon  has  called 
Jesus  "Christ,"  Jesus  will  call  him  "Peter,"  rock-like  man,  and 
then  relapsing  in  this  supreme  moment  into  the  language  of  the  car- 
penter's shop,  Jesus  says  that  upon  such  bed-rock  He  can  "build" 
His  church.  (In  the  Gospels  the  word  "church"  appears  only  here 
and  in  Matt.  l8:i8).  This  man,  who  sees  in  Jesus'  character  and 
activity  a  Messiah,  is  a  basis  for  a  church,  and  the  powers  of  the 
under-world,  which  are  represented  as  sitting  in  oriental  fashion  at 
the  "gate,"  cannot  by  their  counsels  overthrow  a  church  so  founded. 
It  vvall  never  pass  into  oblivion.  Then  Jesus  speaks  in  the  phrase- 
ology of  the  rabbis  who  hold  "keys"  to  the  doors  of  the  Kingdom,  and 
who  "bind"  when  they  decide  that  a  requirement  of  the  law  applies 
to  a  certain  situation,  or  who  "loose"  when  they  decide  that  it  does 
not  so  apply.  He  says  here  of  Peter,  and  elsewhere  of  the  others 
(Matt.  18:18,  John  20:23),  that  they  are  to  be  the  authoritative  relig- 
ious teachers  of  the  world.  The  event  has  so  proven,  for  the  authori- 
tative religious  teachers  of  the  world  to-day  are  not  Rabbi  Gamaliel 
or  Rabbi  Hillel,  but  Peter,  John,  and  Paul  who  later  joined  the 
apostolic  group. 

4.  Jesus  follows  this  outburst  of  appreciation  by  a  most  strenuous 
injunction  to  keep  His  Messiahship  secret  (Mark  8:30).  If  it  be 
true  that  the  inner  circle  has  before  this  time  regarded  Jesus  as  the 
Messiah,  we  must  suppose  also  that  this  is  not  the  first  time  He  has 
enjoined  secrecy.  Answer  this  question  as  best  you  can  without 
spending  too  much  time  on  it:  Why  did  Jesus  wish  His  Messiahship 
to  be  guarded  as  the  secret  of  the  inner  circle .? 

Personal  Thought :  "But  who  say  ye  that  I  am  .?"  It  is  disciples 
reporting  as  the  result  of  their  personal  experience  with  Jesus  that 
He  is  the  Christ  of  God  that  gives  the  church  its  perpetuity.  Men 
do  not  see  or  know  Him,  but  you  see  Him,  and  it  is  your  report  of 
what  you  see  that  is  ordained  of  God  to  be  the  means  of  leading  other 
men  into  your  experience.     Read  John  14:19. 


76         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  IX.—^taufi  ©tttBtUc  (Salilec  ^Jistructing;  t\it  E\atltit 

Fifth  Day:  Jesus  Perplexes  the  Inner  Circle  by  Statements  Re- 
garding His  Approaching  Death  and  Resurrection.  Mark  8:31- 
9:1;  Matt.  16:21-28;  Luke  9:22-27 

During  these  weeks  of  exaltation  in  the  far  northeast,  produced 
by  Jesus'  conversation  with  them  regarding  His  Messiahship,  He 
threw  a  dark  shadow  over  them  by  making  the  statement  found  in 
Mark  8:31.  The  disciples  probably  regarded  this  as  an  instance  of 
Jesus'  favorite  parabolic  form  of  speech  and  did  not  think  that  it  was 
to  be  taken  literally.  That  no  one  expected  the  Messiah  to  die  is 
evident  from  John  12:34.  When  Jesus  did  literally  die,  the  disciples 
never  dreamed  of  a  literal,  immediate  resurrection  (Luke  24:11). 
They  gave  up  the  theory  of  His  Messiahship  (Luke  24:21).  Or 
perhaps  when  He  made  this  statement  they  may  have  thought  that 
He  meant  to  say  that  He  would  literally  die  and  not  appear  again 
to  make  His  Messianic  demonstration  until  some  future  time  when 
the  general  resurrection  should  occur,  for  the  three-day  period  seems 
to  have  been  comparatively  a  short  period  of  indefinite  length.  (Cf. 
Hos.  6:2,  Luke  i3'33)-  In  any  case,  the  statement  indicated  an 
unexpected  postponement  of  the  Messianic  demonstration  and  a  state 
of  things  utterly  inconsistent  with  their  conceptions  of  the  Messianic 
program.  They  were  thrown  completely  into  confusion.  See  the 
evidence  of  this  in  Mark  9:10,  31-32.  Read  Mark  8:32-33.  Accord- 
ing to  V.  32  what  was  it  that  especially  disturbed  Peter  and  made 
him  feel  that  his  Messiah  had  blundered  ?  Why  did  Jesus  turn  so 
fiercely  upon  Peter  and  call  him  "Satan"  ?  That  is,  what  was  there 
in  Peter's  suggestion  that  seemed  to  Jesus  so  terrible  a  temptation  ? 

Jesus  seems  to  have  had  His  disciples  immediately  about  Him, 
and  others  more  or  less  interested  in  what  He  happened  to  be  saying 
to  His  disciples  were  nearby.  Peter's  warning  to  Him  (v.  32)  had 
no  effect,  for  He  immediately  called  out  to  the  miscellaneous  company 
in  the  vicinity,  and  when  He  got  their  attention,  said  something  still 
more  offensive.     Read  Mark  8:34-9:1. 

Personal  Thought  :  Temptation  must  be  summarily  dealt  with  in 
its  beginning.  Before  it  has  had  time  to  gather  strength  and  lay  hold 
on  the  imagination  the  better  nature  must  rise  up  in  fierce  and 
instant  resentment.     This  disposition  can  be  developed  into  a  habit 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ        77 


Study  IX.— Sfesttg  ®ut£iitre  Galilee  ^nstvnttins  tfie  Cinelte 

Sixth  Day:  Jesus  Perplexes  the  Inner  Circle  by  Statements  Re- 
garding His  Approaching  Death  and  Resurrection  (concluded). 
Mark  8:31-9:1;  Matt.  16:21-28;  Luke  9:22-27 

1.  In  V.  34  Jesus  pictures  Himself  leading  a  procession  of  men  out  to 
execution,  each  with  a  cross  on  his  shoulder.  Peter's  ambitious  spirit 
must  have  sunk  within  him  when  he  heard  Jesus  say  this  "openly" 
(cf.  V.  32)!  No  Messianic  aspirant  who  taught  such  doctrine  could 
hope  to  win  a  following!  Perhaps  the  phrase  "take  up  his  cross" 
already  had  a  somewhat  proverbial  force.  In  any  case  it  meant 
readiness  to  die,  and  introduced  those  who  heard  it  to  an  outlook 
very  different  from  that  which  current  political  and  religious  enthu- 
siasm associated  with  the  Kingdom  of  God.  What  did  Jesus  mean 
by  "denying  one's  self"  (v.  34)  ?  Notice  the  play  on  words  in  v.  35 
where  "life"  is  used  in  two  different  senses. 

It  becomes  evident  in  v.  36  that  Jesus  is  again  facing  the  old  temp- 
tation that  appealed  to  Him  at  the  beginning.  Read  again  Matt. 
4:8-10.  The  "life"  which  He  expected  for  Himself  and  for  all  who 
would  go  His  way  after  Him  was  the  life  which  consisted  in  an  endlessly 
developing  friendship  with  God  and  man.  Cf.  John  17:3  and  Luke 
10:25-28.  It  was  this  conception  of  life  that  we  found  Him  holding 
in  Matt.  4:4  at  the  beginning.  Nothing  can  compensate  for  the  loss 
of  this  (v.  37).  Whom  did  Jesus  have  in  mind  in  v.  38  ?  That  is, 
who  was  it  that  had  just  been  chagrined  by  Jesus'  words .? 

2.  After  all  this  strange  talk  about  a  death  and  resurrection, 
Jesus  makes  it  evident,  in  8:38-9:1,  that  He  anticipated  a  Messianic 
triumph.  What  particular  thing  He  had  in  mind  in  this  language  it  is 
difficult  to  determine.  Explanations  often  suggested  are,  (l)  what 
is  described  in  9:2-8;  (2)  the  experience  of  Pentecost  ("power," 
Acts  1:8);  (3)  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem. 

Personal  Thought:  The  readiness  to  deny  to  one's  selfish  inclina- 
tions the  right  to  control  and  to  take  into  account  the  interests  of 
others  is  the  essential  condition  of  all  friendship.  The  selfish  man 
can,  in  the  nature  of  the  case,  have  no  friendship  with  God  or  man. 
Such  friendship  is  life.  If  a  man  were  gaining  a  legal  title  to  all  the 
real  estate  in  the  world  and  losing  his  capacity  for  friendship  (y.  36), 
he  would  be  on  the  road  to  eternal  pauperism. 


yS         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  IX.— Jcfiufi  ©ntctHc  (Saliire  Sfnctructtng;  tijc  Ctucltie 

Seventh  Day:  The  Three  Leaders  of  the  Inner  Circle  See  Jesus 
in  Messianic  Splendor.  Mark  9:2-13;  Matt.  17:1-13;  Luke 
9 : 28-36 

1.  It  is  noticeable  that  all  three  Gospels  (Matt.  17:1,  Mark  9:2, 
Luke  9:28)  speak  of  a  week  intervening  between  the  perplexity  into 
which  Jesus  had  plunged  His  disciples  and  the  event  described  in  to- 
day's study.  It  was  probably  an  extremely  critical  week  in  the  his- 
tory of  Jesus'  association  with  the  inner  circle.  They  were  probably 
debating  whether  they  should  continue  longer  with  Him,  or  abandon 
Him  as  so  many  others  had  done.  (Cf.  John  6:60,  66,  67).  It  may 
well  be,  as  someone  has  suggested,  that  during  this  critical  week  Jesus 
told  them  the  story  of  His  own  temptation  that  has  come  down  to  us 
in  Matt.  4.  He  may  also  have  told  them  of  the  dove  and  heavenly 
voice  at  the  baptism  (Mark  1:9-11). 

At  the  close  of  the  week  Jesus  took  the  three  leaders  of  the  inner 
circle  up  into  a  mountain  for  a  night  (Luke  9:32,  37)  of  prayer  (Luke 
9:28).  On  the  mountain  a  physical  demonstration  of  Messianic 
glory  was  made  to  these  leaders  which  convinced  them  that  Jesus, 
in  spite  of  His  strange  views,  was  the  Messiah,  and  although  these 
leaders  would  not  tell  the  other  nine  what  they  had  experienced  on 
the  mountain  (Mark  9:9),  their  own  unwavering  confidence  henceforth 
in  Jesus'  Messiahship  turned  the  scale,  and  from  this  time  on  the 
whole  company  anticipated  for  themselves  the  political  honors  of  the 
coming  Kingdom  with  entire  confidence  (cf.  Mark  9:33;  10:35-37). 

2.  Now  read  carefully,  with  active  imagination,  Mark  9:2-13  and 
Luke  9:28-36,  and  answer  these  questions,  in  writing  as  usual*  What 
was  the  advantage  of  this  experience  to  Jesus  ?  What  was  the  ad- 
vantage of  it  to  the  three  disciples .?  Note  what  Jesus  and  the  two 
prophets  were  talking  about,  according  to  Luke.  Peter  proposed  to 
act  as  host  for  the  Messiah  and  His  two  guests  (Mark  9:5).  The 
presence  of  Elijah  suggested  the  question  in  v.  1 1. 

Personal  Thought:  "This  is  my  Beloved  Son,  hear  ye  Him."  Jesus 
is  authenticated  from  heaven  not  merely  now  by  this  voice,  but  by 
the  recognized  character  of  His  teaching  and  personal  influence  upon 
the  life  of  the  world.  Have  you  ever  seriously  made  up  your  mind  to 
do  His  teaching?  "Why  call  ye  me  Lord,  Lord,  and  do  not  the 
things  which  I  say?"     (Luke  6:46). 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         79 


Study  X.—^z6Vi6  ©tttfiitjc  (Galilee  ^TnEftructing:  tl)c  ©tnclbc 

(^Continued) 

First  Day:  Jesus  Exercises  Power  Over  an  Especially  Obdurate 
Case  of  Demonical  Possession.  Mark  9 :  14-29;  Matt.  17 :  14-20; 
Luke  9 :  37-43 

1.  When  the  four  came  down  from  their  wonderful  night  on  the 
mountain  they  found  the  nine  surrounded  by  a  crowd  of  people,  in- 
cluding some  local  rabbis  who  were  debating  with  them.  The  peo- 
ple seem  not  to  have  been  expecting  Jesus  and  ran  to  greet  Him  as 
soon  as  He  appeared.  It  soon  developed  that  the  nine  had  been  cha- 
grined by  a  failure  to  cure  a  demoniac  boy.  They  had  probably  all 
in  turn  tried  their  usual  formula  of  exorcism,  but  had  found  to  their 
dismay  that  it  was  not  followed  by  the  usual  result.  Read  carefully 
Mark  9:14-29,  sympathizing  with  the  distress  of  the  father  who  has 
seen  his  boy's  life  blighted  and  whose  hope  of  help  from  the  famous 
prophet-healer's  company  has  so  far  been  disappointed. 

2.  To  whom  is  the  remark  in  v.  19  addressed  .?  In  what  did  their 
faithlessness  consist  ?  In  this  case,  as  in  some  others  (cf.  Mark  1 :26), 
the  presence  of  Jesus  occasioned  a  convulsion.  The  convulsion  was 
unusually  severe  and  nearly  killed  the  boy  (vv.  20,  26).  Be  sure  to 
read  vv.  22-23  •'^  ^^^e  Revised  Version.  Jesus  expresses  surprise  that 
there  should  be  any  question  about  His  power  being  equal  to  the 
emergency.  The  only  danger  is  that  the  father's  confidence  in  Jesus' 
power  will  not  be  such  as  to  permit  the  operation  of  Jesus'  healing 
power.  Express  in  a  sentence  or  two  the  state  of  mind  implied  in 
the  sentence,  "I  believe,  help  thou  mine  unbehef." 

3.  And  now  the  episode  is  ended.  The  crowds  are  dispersing, 
the  glad  father  is  leading  his  boy  home  able  to  hear  and  speak;  and 
the  nine  inquire  of  Jesus  regarding  the  reason  of  their  failure.  Why 
had  they  not  been  able  to  cure  the  boy .?  Had  the  absence  of  the 
three  leaders  anything  to  do  with  it .?  Had  there  been  anything  in 
the  recent  history  of  the  company  to  account  for  it  ^. 

Personal  Thought :  The  danger  is  that  some  great  opportunity 
will  come  to  us  on  a  prayerless  day.  If  we  had  begun  the  day  with 
prayer  we  should  have  been  in  a  frame  of  mind  to  notice  and  use 
the  opportunity.  A  little  more  of  the  preparation  which  we  mean 
usually  to  make  would  have  sufficed,  but  the  opportunity  came  when, 
for  lack  of  preparation,  we  were  not  quite  equal  to  the  occasion. 


8o         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  X.— ^TefittK  ©utfiiljc  (Salilec  3fnBtructinfl:  tl)c  STtDcliJC 

{Continued) 

Second  Day:  Jesus  Makes  a  Short,  Secret  Visit  to  Galilee.    Mark 
9:30-32;  Matt.  17:22-27;  Luke  9:43-45 

1.  For  some  reason  which  we  cannot  ascertain,  Jesus  found  it 
desirable  to  make  a  secret  visit  to  Galilee.  He  did  not  intend  to 
remain  in  the  province,  but  simply  to  "pass  through."  Perhaps  he 
traveled  by  night.  The  return  to  the  province  where  the  rabbis  and 
Herodians  so  bitterly  hated  Him  made  Jesus  naturally  revert  to 
the  mysterious  subject  of  His  death  and  speedy  resurrection.  The 
Twelve  were  as  profoundly  perplexed  as  ever  over  the  statement. 
Read  Mark  9:30-32.  Why  was  Jesus  so  concerned  to  escape  ob- 
servation in  Galilee .''  Why  were  the  Twelve  afraid  to  ask  for  an 
explanation .''  Perhaps  their  remembrance  of  Jesus'  agitation  the 
last  time  they  had  talked  about  the  matter  had  something  to  do  Vvith 
it  (cf.  Mark  8:32  fF.).  Or  they  may  have  remembered  the  strong 
language  He  had  used  when  they  had  once  before  been  slow  to  catch 
His  meaning  (cf.  Mark  8:15-21). 

2.  While  Jesus  was  hiding  in  Capernaum  an  officer  met  Peter  on 
the  street,  and  knowing  that  Jesus  had  not  been  seen  in  Galilee  re- 
cently, asked  Peter  if  his  master  proposed  to  pay  the  two  drachma 
temple  tax.  This  was  a  kind  of  poll-tax  for  the  support  of  the  temple 
(cf.  Ex.  30:11  fF.).  He  may  have  expected  that  Jesus,  who  had 
taken  so  pronounced  a  position  against  the  "tradition"  (Mark 
7:1-23),  would  also  be  lax  on  this  point.  Peter,  either  knowing  that 
Jesus  had  paid  it  in  previous  years,  or  being  anxious  to  keep  Jesus 
from  playing  into  the  hands  of  the  authorities  in  such  a  way  as  to  pro- 
duce the  result  of  which  Jesus  had  just  spoken  in  Mark  9:31,  assured 
the  officer  that  Jesus  would  pay  it.  When  Peter  reached  the  house 
Jesus  showed  that  He  already  knew  what  was  in  Peter's  mind.  He 
argued  that  since  He  was  the  Messianic  Son  of  God,  as  Peter  had 
recently  declared  Him  to  be.  He  (and  probably  also  His  twelve 
associates)  were  rightly  exempt  from  the  tax,  but  that  under  the 
circumstances  it  was  better  to  pay  it.  Read  Matt.  17:24-27.  Why 
did  Jesus  think  it  best  to  pay  the  tax .?  Does  v.  27  mean  anything 
more  than  that  the  fish  was  sold  for  a  shekel .'' 

Personal  Thought  :  We  are  sometimes  inclined  to  insist  upon  our 
"rights"  regardless  of  the  effect  of  such  insistence  upon  others. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         8i 


Study  X.— Hfestie  ©ut6iUc  (Galilee  ^J^fitrttctinff  tl)e  QTtoeiyje 

{Continued) 

Third  Day  :  The  Political  Ambition  of  the  Twelve.  Mark  g :  33-37; 
Matt.  18:1-6;  Luke  9:46-48 

1.  Here  in  Capernaum  another  crisis  in  the  career  of  the  Twelve 
occurs.  At  the  close  of  these  two  long  excursions  into  the  north 
(Mark  7:24,  8:27)  the  disciples  give  discouraging  evidence  of  the  de- 
fectiveness of  their  Messianic  conception  and  of  their  personal  unfit- 
ness for  the  New  Order.  Read  Mark  g'^^SJ,  and  answer  as  best 
you  can  these  questions  before  reading  the  next  paragraph  on  this 
page:  Exactly  what  was  the  trouble  among  the  Twelve?  Did  each 
of  the  Twelve  maintain  that  he  was  the  "greatest"  ?  Had  there  been 
anything  in  their  recent  history  calculated  to  raise  the  question  ? 
How  would  the  teaching  in  vv.  36-37  remedy  the  trouble  .'' 

2.  There  were  probably  two  classes  among  the  Twelve.  There 
were  a  few  leaders  like  Peter,  James,  and  John,  each  of  whom  was 
inchned  to  anticipate  for  himself  the  position  of  prime  minister  in 
the  new  state.  Perhaps  the  occurrence  in  Mark  9:2-13  had  encour- 
aged their  ambition.  Against  this  idea  Jesus  made  the  statement 
in  V.  35.  There  were  other,  more  obscure,  men  among  the  Twelve 
who  can  scarcely  have  had  any  reason  to  expect  the  primacy  for  them- 
selves. Their  intention  was  to  determine  shrewdly  beforehand  which 
of  the  more  prominent  men  would  probably  be  prime  minister  and 
to  treat  him  so  well  as  to  be  sure  of  special  favors  at  his  hand  when 
he  should  come  into  his  high  office.  To  this  latter  class  Jesus  said 
in  vv.  36-37  that  instead  of  selfishly  trying  to  court  the  favor  of  high 
officers,  they  ought  to  show  kindness  to  those  who  could  make  them 
no  return — for  instance,  to  little  children.  "Anyone  who  is  kind  to 
a  little  child,  as  I  am  to  this  little  boy,  because  of  the  child's  connec- 
tion with  me,  is  just  as  really  showing  kindness  to  me  as  if  he  were 
entertaining  some  great  officer  in  my  Kingdom  "  (v.  37). 

Personal  Thought :  The  extreme  simplicity  of  life  in  the  Kingdom 
of  Heaven,  as  Jesus  conceived  it,  is  evident  here.  The  Kingdom  is 
an  Empire  of  Unselfish  Good-Will  expressed  in  the  ordinary 
relationships  of  life.  We  need  repeatedly  to  ask  ourselves.  Do  I 
enjoy  doing  for  those  who  can  make  no  return  in  kind  ?  For  instance, 
do  I  feel  an  increasing  degree  of  Jesus'  interest  in  little  children  ? 


82         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  X.—'^t6U6  ©nteitic  (BaliUt  STnctrnctinff  tl\t  Ctoclbc 

{Continued) 

Fourth  Day:   The  Political  Conception  of  the  Kingdom  Causes 
the  Twelve  to  Blunder.     Mark  9:38-42;  Luke  9:49-50 

1.  Some  of  the  Twelve  had  seen  a  man  trying  to  cure  demoniacs  by 
using  Jesus'  name  and  His  formula  of  exorcism.  This  procedure  had 
seemed  to  them  undesirable  and  they  had  ordered  him  to  stop.  Read 
Mark  9:38-42,  and  answer  these  questions  before  reading  the  next 
paragraph  on  this  page:  What  is  the  exact  point  at  which  the  disciples 
were  at  fault  here .''  That  is,  why  did  they  wish  the  man  to  stop  his 
independent  work  ?  How  were  Jesus'  remarks  in  vv.  39-42  calculated 
to  remove  the  fault  ?    Who  are  the  "little  ones"  referred  to  in  v.  42  ? 

2.  Just  how  John's  mind  worked  in  the  case  of  the  friendly  inde- 
pendent is  not  clearly  evident.  His  mind  was  full  of  the  political  con- 
ception of  the  Kingdom,  and  perhaps  he  felt  that  such  independent 
action  was  contributing  nothing  to  the  political  establishment  of  the 
Kingdom.  It  was  rather  distracting  attention  from  Jesus'  regularly 
organized  band  of  followers  and  so  was  detrimental  to  the  new  po- 
litical organization.  Jesus  said  that  they  had  blundered,  for  the 
spirit  which  prompted  the  man  was  evidently  one  of  friendliness  to 
the  Messiah,  and  it  was  this  spirit  that  determined  the  value  of  the 
action  rather  than  its  supposed  political  significance.  "Now  that 
enemies  are  so  bitter  and  powerful  no  one  will  attempt  a  mighty 
work  in  my  name  unless  he  proposes  to  stand  by  me  in  the  days  of 
peril  (cf.  Mark  9:30-31)  that  are  so  quickly  coming  (v.  39).  Any- 
one who  does  not  now  join  our  enemies  is  surely  at  heart  a  friend  (v. 
40).  Not  the  political  significance  of  the  act,  but  the  spirit  of  per- 
sonal friendliness  that  prompts  it,  no  matter  how  commonplace  the 
act  may  be,  gives  it  its  value  (v.  41).  To  discourage  any  friendly  ad- 
herent of  mine,  however  humble,  may  turn  him  away  from  the  eternal 
life  of  the  Kingdom,  and  this  is  so  great  a  disaster  that  he  who  oc- 
casions it  might  better  be  in  the  depth  of  the  sea"  (v.  42). 

Personal  Thought:  We  need  to  form  the  habit  of  instinctively  think- 
ing of  people  whom  we  meet  in  their  relation  to  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven.  Can  anything  be  done  by  us  for  them  that  will  make  the 
work  they  may  be  doing  for  the  Kingdom  more  effective  ?  Can  we 
bring  ourselves  into  a  sympathetic  relation  to  them  that  shall  make 
us  appreciate  more  truly  what  they  are  doing  for  the  Kmgdom  ? 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         83 


Study  X.—^tunti  ©utfiiUe  (SBliltt  ^Mtxnttinz  tht  Ctoelbc 

(ConitnueJ) 

Fifth  Day:  The  Ambition  of  the  Twelve  Imperils  their  Prospect 
of  Entering  the  Kingdom.     Mark  9:43-50;  Matt.  18:6-14 

1.  Jesus  now  turns  solemnly  upon  the  Twelve  and  warns  them  that 
if  their  dispositions  are  not  changed  they  will  not  only  fail  to  secure 
the  high  offices  for  which  they  are  eager,  but  they  will  fail  to  enter 
the  Kingdom  at  all  and  will  fall  away  into  the  Gehenna  of  fire.  He 
urges  them  to  sacrifice  anything  which  produces  a  spirit  inconsistent 
with  entrance  into  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven,  even  though  it  be  so  useful 
as  a  hand  or  an  eye.  Read  Mark  9:43-50,  and  determine  as  best  you 
can  before  reading  the  next  paragraph  on  this  page  what  it  is  that  is 
called  "salt,"  or  "fire,"  and  that  keeps  the  spirit  out  of  Gehenna. 

2.  "Gehenna,"  or  the  "Valley  of  Hinnom,"  is  the  name  of  a  ravine 
southwest  and  south  of  Jerusalem  which  seems  to  have  been  a  dump- 
ing ground  for  all  the  refuse  matter  of  the  city.  Maggots  were  always 
breeding  in  the  carcases  thrown  there,  and  smoke  was  always  rising 
from  the  fires  that  were  kept  burning  to  consume  the  refuse.  It  came 
naturally  to  be  the  symbol  of  the  place  where  everyone  that  would 
defile  the  life  of  the  Holy  City  would  go.  This  place  seems  to  be 
referred  to  in  Is.  66:20-24.  In  order  to  avoid  this  place  demanded 
for  the  moral  sanitation  of  the  new  Kingdom  and  to  enter  the  life  of 
the  Kingdom,  any  necessary  sacrifice  might  well  be  made. 

Paraphrase  of  vv.  49-50:  "I  urge  you  not  to  shrink  from  making 
whatsoever  sacrifice  may  be  necessary  (see  vv.  43-48),  for  everyone 
will  have  to  be  preserved  from  moral  decay  ("salted")  by  such  pain- 
fully fiery  experiences  as  these  sacrifices  entail  (v.  49).  You  need  to 
take  great  pains  to  keep  this  spirit  of  self-sacrifice  vigorous,  for  just 
as  there  is  nothing  with  which  to  season  salt  and  give  it  preservative 
power  when  once  it  loses  its  saltness,  so  if  you  lose  your  spirit  of  loving 
self-sacrifice,  there  is  nothing  else  which  can  preserve  you  from  moral 
decay.  Therefore,  see  to  it  that  you  have  this  preservative  (salty) 
spirit  of  self-sacrifice  in  your  very  hearts.  And  furthermore,  let  it 
lead  each  one  of  you  to  such  preference  of  the  other's  honor  as  will 
prevent  the  occurrence  of  any  further  unfriendly  and  disgraceful  dis- 
cussion about  who  will  be  greatest "  (v.  50). 

Personal  Thought :  Can  you  rejoice  heartily  in  another  man's 
success  ? 


84         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  X.— SfeBus  ©utfitUc  (Saltlcc  ^netructing;  tl)c  OTtoelbe 

{ContinueJ) 

Sixth  Day:  The  Twelve  in  Danger  of  Failing  to  Forgive.    Matt. 

18:15-35 

We  naturally  infer  from  Jesus'  stern  language  in  the  paragraph 
just  studied  that  there  was  a  good  deal  of  hard  feeling  among  the 
Twelve  at  this  time.  This  inference  is  further  sustained  by  a  para- 
graph in  Matthew,  Perhaps  not  all  of  this  paragraph  was  spoken 
by  Jesus  at  this  time  (especially  the  part  referring  to  the  "church"), 
for  Matthew  seems  to  describe  the  utterances  of  Jesus  logically  rather 
than  chronologically.  There  had  probably  been  a  good  many  un- 
pleasant things  said  by  different  ones  of  the  Twelve,  and  it  was  neces- 
sary for  Jesus  not  merely  to  put  a  stop  to  this,  but  to  secure  a  readi- 
ness to  forgive  what  had  already  been  said  and  done.  Read  all  of 
Matt.  18,  especially  vv.  15-35.  Peter  had  received  conspicuous  honor 
from  Jesus  (see  Matt.  16:16-19)  and  had  probably  consequently  been 
the  special  object  of  jealous  attack.  He  may  have  felt  that  he  had 
been  seriously  wronged  by  some  of  the  others.  It  is  significant  that  he 
is  the  one  who  asks  here  how  often  he  must  forgive  (v.  21).  Perhaps 
Jesus  took  pains  in  vv.  18-20  (cf.  Matt.  16:18-19)  to  relieve  the  tense 
feeling  of  the  eleven  by  showing  them  that  He  had  not  intended  to 
honor  Peter  to  the  exclusion  of  the  others.  The  point  of  the  story 
in  w.  21-30  lies  largely  in  the  relative  size  of  the  debts,  namely,  $12- 
000,000  and  i^iy!  Imagine  yourself  in  Peter's  place  and  decide 
what  Jesus  intended  this  story  to  teach  him.  Read  it  carefully 
once  more  with  this  point  in  mind.  To  what  motives  does  Jesus  ap- 
peal in  order  to  induce  forgiveness  .''  The  general  subject  of  forgive- 
ness will  be  discussed  in  the  "Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and 
His  Apostles." 

Human  life,  with  its  many  opportunities  for  friction  and  ill-will, 
is  a  situation  in  which  to  form  the  habit  of  forgiving.  Note  in  vv. 
21-22  that  it  was  the  habit  of  forgiving  that  Jesus  had  in  mind. 

Personal  Thought :  When  you  find  yourself  seriously  wronged, 
remember  that  the  wrong  constitutes  your  chance  to  develop  the  grace 
of  forgiveness.  If  you  had  not  been  really  wronged  you  would  have 
no  occasion  to  forgive.  You  would  not  be  able  to  sympathize  with 
God  in  the  supreme  grace  of  forgiveness. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         85 


Study  X.—St6\is  ©utfiiHe  (0aUIce  ^TnBtrtttttng:  t|)e  Ctoeltoe 

(ConttnueJ) 

Seventh  Day:  A  Visit  to  Jerusalem  not  Recorded  in  Mark.    John 

7:10-8:59 

The  Synoptic  Gospels  give  no  account  of  Jesus'  operations  in  Jeru- 
salem, although  they  give  hints  of  frequent  visits  (Matt.  23:37).  We 
are  not  surprised,  therefore,  to  find  John's  Gospel  describing  at  con- 
siderable length  Jesus'  activity  in  Jerusalem.  Though  these  accounts 
cannot  be  accurately  dated  with  reference  to  the  Synoptic  narrative,  it 
is  quite  probable  that  the  visit  described  in  John  7:10-8:59  occurred 
in  the  general  period  which  we  are  now  studying. 

The  chapters  in  John  will  be  read  more  carefully  later  in  the  year 
when  the  Gospel  of  John  is  studied,  but  for  the  present  read  rapidly 
John  7:10-8:59.  As  a  result  of  your  reading,  state  in  a  sentence  or 
two  what  the  general  attitude  of  the  Jerusalem  public  towards  Jesus 
was,  and  in  what  respects  it  resembled  the  attitude  of  the  Galileans. 

"Looked  at  on  the  surface,  the  conflict  of  Jesus  with  the  Jews  seems 
but  an  ignoble  waste  of  the  noblest  Being  earth  has  ever  known.  And 
in  many  respects  it  was  what  it  seemed.  The  antagonists  of  Christ 
were  poor  enough,  especially  when  compared  with  Him,  shallow, 
selfish,  short-sighted  men;  bigots  in  creed  and  in  conduct;  capable 
of  no  sin  disapproved  by  tradition;  incapable  of  any  virtue  unenjoined 
by  it;  too  respectable  to  be  publicans  and  sinners;  a  generation  too 
ungenerous  to  forgive  sins  against  their  own  order,  and  too  blind  to 
see  sins  in  it — they  remain  for  all  time  our  most  perfect  types  of  fierce 
and  inflexible  devotion  to  a  worship  instituted  and  administered  by 
men,  but  of  relentless  and  unbending  antagonism  to  religion  as  the 
service  of  God  in  spirit  and  in  truth.  And  to  think  of  our  holy  and 
beautiful  Christ,  His  heart  the  home  of  a  love  that  enfolded  the  world, 
His  spirit  the  stainless,  truthful  mirror  of  the  Eternal,  His  mouth 
dropping  with  every  word  pearls  of  divinest  wisdom — to  think  of  Him 
hated  and  wasted  by  these  men  is  to  think,  as  it  were,  of  the  crown  of 
God  with  all  its  stars  dimmed,  corroded,  dissolved  by  mists  bred  in 
dismal  swamps  formed  by  the  decayed  life  of  ancient  worlds.  .  .  . 
But  the  ignoble  was  all  on  one  side;  on  the  other  was  a  magnanimity 
that  only  became  the  more  magnanimous  in  the  struggle  with  the 
little  and  the  mean.  As  the  darkness  deepened  around  the  Hero's 
path.  His  heroism  shone  the  brighter." — Fairbairn,  Studies  in  the 
Life  of  Christ. 


86         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XI.— STeeus  ©utfiiUe  (Saltlcc  ^nfitructing;  tl)e  Ctocltie 

(^Continued) 

First  Day:  Jesus  Resumes  Public  Teaching  Outside  of  Galilee, 
and  Instructs  His  Disciples  Regarding  the  Sanctity  of  the  Mar- 
riage Relation.     Mark  10:1-12;  Matt.  19:1-12 

Read  Mark  10:1  and  contrast  its  reference  to  public  teaching 
with  Mark  9:30.  It  will  be  seen  however,  that  Jesus  was  still  chiefly 
concerned  with  the  instruction  of  the  Twelve. 

The  local  rabbis  of  the  region  southeast  of  Galilee  put  a  ques- 
tion to  Jesus  the  answering  of  which  they  thought  would  involve 
Him  in  trouble.  They  probably  imagined  that  He  held  a  stricter 
view  of  the  marriage  relation  than  that  presented  in  the  law  of  Moses, 
and  they  hoped,  by  drawing  Him  out  on  this  point,  to  make  Him 
show  His  divergence  from  Moses,  and  at  the  same  time  alienate  some 
of  His  followers  by  the  offensive  strictness  of  His  views.  They  may 
have  hoped,  too,  that  He  would  get  Himself  into  trouble  with  Herod, 
for  Herod  had  divorced  an  Arabian  wife  in  order  to  marry  Herodias, 
and  Herodias  had  left  a  husband.  The  "Peraea"  ("beyond  Jordan," 
V.  i)  where  Jesus  probably  now  was,  as  well  as  Galilee,  belonged  to 
Herod.  Everyone  remembered  what  had  happened  to  John  the 
Baptist  when  he  concerned  himself  with  Herod's  domestic  affairs! 
The  question  submitted  to  Jesus  did  not  relate  to  the  adulterous  wife, 
as  is  noted  in  Matt.    19:3,  9,  for  she  was  to  die  (John  8:5). 

Read  now  Mark  10:2-12.  How  does  Jesus  justify  His  divergence 
from  the  teaching  of  Moses  ^  That  is,  what  is  the  meaning  of  v.  5, 
and  what  is  the  argument  in  vv.  6-9 .'' 

Jesus'  respect  for  the  law  of  Moses  appears  here,  as  earlier  in  Matt. 
5:17,  and  also  His  quiet  sense  of  superiority  to  it.  He  knows  what 
God's  original  ideal  of  family  life  was.  Read  Matt.  19:10  to  see 
how  the  Twelve  felt  about  Jesus'  strict  ideas  of  marriage.  In  the 
following  verses  Jesus  tells  them  that  most  men  could  not  wisely  re- 
frain from  marriage,  although  some,  for  the  sake  of  more  effective 
service  in  the  Kingdom  of  God,  did  so.  Perhaps  He  had  in  mind 
John  the  Baptist,  who  was  probably  unmarried. 

Personal  Thought :  We  deprecate  the  lax  public  sentiment  that 
facilitates  easy  divorce,  but  we  do  not  think  enough  about  the  de- 
velopment of  such  personal  habits  of  thought  and  feeling  in  the  years 
before  marriage  as  will  fit  a  man  and  woman  to  live  together  happily 
and  with  mutual  consideration  in  the  marriage  relation. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         87 


Study  Xl.—^tiuti  ©utfiiHe  (Saltlee  Jnstrtictinff  tit  Ctocltoe 

(^Continued) 

Second  Day:  Jesus  Teaches  His  Disciples  the  Significance  of  Child 
Life.    Mark  10:13-16;  Matt.  19:13-15;  Luke  18:15-17 

1.  The  minds  of  the  Twelve  were  filled  with  the  political  concep- 
tion of  the  Kingdom,  and  they  were  led  by  it  into  a  fresh  blunder 
which  aroused  Jesus'  indignation.  A  company  of  mothers  thought 
that  there  would  be  blessing  for  their  children  in  the  touch  of  the 
great  prophet-healer,  and  came  to  Jesus  with  them.  The  Twelve, 
who  knew  that  Jesus'  mind  must  be  full  of  plans  for  the  new  state, 
felt  that  He  must  not  be  bothered  by  the  children  and  told  the 
mothers  to  go  away.  When  Jesus  noticed  this  He  was  exceedingly 
indignant. 

2.  Read  Mark  10:13-16.  Is  there  any  connection  between  this 
paragraph  and  vv.  2-12  ?  The  last  clause  of  v.  14  should  probably 
be  translated,  "to  such  belongs  the  Kingdom  of  God  ";  what  does  the 
clause  mean?  What  does  v.  15  mean.''  That  is,  how  would  little 
children  receive  the  Kingdom  of  God  ?  Give  this  point  a  good  deal 
of  thought  and  write  out  your  views  at  some  length. 

Personal  Thought :  Everything  that  Jesus  touched  He  permanently 
dignified.  The  sick,  who  had  before  been  neglected  and  abandoned, 
since  He  touched  them  are  gathered  into  hospitals.  The  cross,  which 
had  before  been  the  symbol  of  guilt,  horror,  and  shame,  like  the  gal- 
lows, since  He  touched  it  has  been  the  symbol  of  loving  sacrifice  to 
be  gilded  and  lifted  high  on  church  spires  or  worn  in  miniature  upon 
the  person.  Little  children,  who  had  before  been  slightingly  thought 
of,  since  He  touched  them  have  become  the  objects  of  tender  regard. 
The  care  of  infants,  the  early  education  of  little  children,  engage  the 
attention  of  the  most  skilful  physicians  and  the  greatest  educators. 
In  the  New  Order  it  is  persons  that  receive  supreme  consideration — 
little  persons,  aged  persons,  sick  persons,  outcast  persons,  any  kind 
of  persons.  Are  you  coming  to  feel  a  profound  interest  in  all  kinds 
of  persons  ? 


88         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XL— ^TcfiittB  ©utefiUc  (Salilcc  ^netructinff  t^z  Ctocltic 

(Continued) 

Third  Day  :  A  Pious  Rich  Man  Turns  Away  from  the  Kingdom. 
Mark  10:17-22;  Matt.  19:16-22;  Luke  18:18-23 

1.  The  Twelve  were  thrilled  with  pleasure  to  see  a  wealthy  young 
man  of  good  family  come  running  up  to  Jesus,  kneel  before  Him,  and 
ask  Him  as  an  expert  to  give  a  professional  prophet's  opinion  on  an 
important  point.  It  was  currently  thought  that  righteousness  con- 
sisted in  a  sum  total  of  meritorious  deeds.  This  young  man  asked 
Jesus  to  specify  some  deed  of  sufficient  merit  to  make  it  certain  that 
the  sum  total  of  his  righteousnesses  would  be  sufficient  to  admit  him 
into  the  coming  Kingdom.  He  addressed  Jesus  very  politely  as 
"Good  Master,"  but  Jesus  warned  him  somewhat  sternly  not  to  use 
language  with  the  polite  and  insincere  conventionality  of  his  class 
(v.  18).  The  conversation  that  followed  developed  the  fact  that  he 
differed  from  many  men  of  his  class  in  that  he  was  a  man  of  clean 
life  and  entirely  sincere.     Jesus  was  greatly  drawn  to  him. 

2.  Read  Mark  10:17-22  with  active  imagination.  Notice  in  v.  21 
the  two  things  that  Jesus  specified  in  reply  to  the  young  man's  re- 
quest. Why  did  He  ask  him  to  sell  out  his  estate  and  give  the  pro- 
ceeds to  the  poor.?  In  answering  this  question  consider  what  Jesus 
regarded  as  the  dominant  spirit  of  the  New  Order,  the  beginnings 
of  which,  at  least,  all  who  would  enter  the  New  Order  must  have. 
Why  did  He  make  the  second  request .?  Write  out  in  a  few  brief  sen- 
tences a  diagnosis  of  this  man's  case,  stating  clearly  why  it  was  that 
he  did  not  do  what  Jesus  asked  him  to  do. 

Personal  Thought :  There  is  one  question  which  must  be  asked 
of  every  individual,  no  matter  what  his  situation  in  life:  What  ktnJ 
of  person  are  you  .?  The  millionaire  and  his  office  boy  must  answer 
the  same  question.  No  one  was  ever  long  in  the  presence  of  Jesus 
Christ  without  finding  out  what  kind  of  person  he  really  was.  It  is 
worth  one's  while  to  kneel  in  prayer  behind  a  locked  door  and  say: 
"Lord  Jesus  Christ,  show  me  what  kind  of  person  I  really  am." 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         89 


Study  Xl.—^ttin6  ©utfiiUc  (Galilee  ^Tiifitracttns  tl)e  Ctoelbe 

(Continued) 

Fourth  Day:  The  Twelve  Amazed  at  Jesus'  Teaching  Regarding 
the  Ineligibility  of  the  Rich  for  the  Kingdom.  Mark  lo  :  23-31 ; 
Matt.  19:  23-20: 16;  Luke  18:24-30 

1.  The  faces  of  the  Twelve  fell  when  they  found  that  their  com- 
pany was  not  to  receive  the  reinforcement  of  this  prominent  citizen. 
As  they  looked  regretfully  after  the  retreating  form  of  the  rich  man, 
Jesus  took  occasion  to  say  very  impressively  something  so  apparently 
unpractical  as  to  draw  from  them  an  impatient  remonstrance.  Read 
Mark  10:22-27.  Jesus  always  penetrated  into  the  real  heart  of  things. 
Why  was  it  hard  for  the  rich  man  to  enter  the  Kingdom  of  God  ? 
That  is,  can  you  state  reasons  why,  in  the  nature  of  the  case,  it  is 
specially  hard  for  rich  persons  to  develop  the  spirit  requisite  for  the 
New  Order  as  Jesus  conceived  it  ? 

Read  w.  28-31.  In  v.  28  Peter,  perhaps  with  some  self-gratula- 
tion,  thinks  that  he  sees  what  it  is  that  makes  a  man  sure  of  the  King- 
dom. Jesus  says  that  the  man  who  has  made  such  sacrifice  is  better 
off  in  the  present  age,  as  well  as  in  the  age  of  the  coming  Kingdom. 
In  what  sense  is  the  statement  in  v.  30  true  ?  Cf.  for  illustration  Paul's 
statement  in  Phil.  3:8-11,  and  the  significant  catalogue  of  personal 
friendships  in  Rom.  16:3-16,  21-23,  especially  v.  13. 

2.  Mark  10:31  contains  a  significant  warning.  Many  who  seem 
to  have  the  first  chance  to  enter  the  Kingdom  will  come  last  and  may 
not  get  in  at  all,  and  those  who  seem  to  have  the  least  chance  may 
come  first.  It  is  easy  to  see  how  this  statement  applied  to  the  rich 
young  man.  Is  there  any  note  of  warning  in  it  for  the  Twelve  ?  Re- 
member Mark  9:33-50. 

According  to  Matthew,  Jesus  illustrated  this  truth  in  a  homely 
way  by  the  story  of  "The  Last  First,"  a  story  in  which  certain  work- 
men who  seemed  likely  to  be  paid  off  last  and  to  get  almost  nothing, 
were  paid  off  first  and  got  large  pay.     Read  Matt.  19:30-20:16. 

Personal  Thought:  "He  shall  receive  an  hundred  fold."  God 
does  not  deal  in  a  niggardly  way  with  His  children.  He  has  great 
things  to  give  them.  If  they  endure  privation  for  a  time  it  is  only  to 
fit  them  to  receive  better  things  than  those  they  were  deprived  of. 
He  is  not  training  them  to  do  without  things,  but  to  be  fit  to  receive 
things. 


90         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  Xl.—^tsna  ©ntsitie  (Salilce  ^nfitructins;  t()c  Ctoclbe 

{Continued) 

Fifth  Day  :  Jesus  Starts  for  Jerusalem,  Greatly  to  the  Dismay  of 
His  Disciples.     Mark  lo :  32-34;  Matt.  20 :  17-19;  Luke  18 :  31-34 

In  10:32  Jesus  is  vividly  pictured  as  striding  forward  with  fixed 
determination  at  the  beginning  of  His  journey  to  Jerusalem.  Many 
of  His  disciples  were  amazed  and  afraid  to  follow;  those  who  did 
follow  went  in  fear.  This  state  of  things  is  hardly  explicable  from 
the  context  here  in  Mark.  This  is  another  place  where  Mark  gives 
indication  that  his  narrative  is  not  complete.  It  would  not  seem 
strange  that  Jesus  should  have  gone  a  number  of  times  to  Jerusalem 
during  these  months  east  of  the  Jordan  (Mark  10:  i).  It  is  generally 
thought  that  John's  Gospel,  which  gives  so  much  space  to  the  activity 
of  Jesus  in  the  capital,  supplies  material  that  should  be  noted  here. 
We  shall  study  John's  Gospel  later,  but  for  the  present  read  rapidly 
chapters  9-1 1  of  John's  Gospel,  solely  with  a  view  to  seeing  whether 
they  throw  any  light  on  the  situation  in  Mark  10:32.  It  seems  likely 
that  the  Twelve,  who  at  this  time  were  so  sure  of  Jesus'  Messiahship, 
did  not  feel  the  dismay  about  Jesus'  going  to  Jerusalem  that  was  felt 
by  the  main  body  of  His  disciples,  to  whom  He  might  still  not  have 
been  more  than  a  great  prophet,  or  to  whom  His  Messiahship  was 
as  yet  but  a  surmise. 

2.  On  the  way  to  Jerusalem  Jesus  spoke  again  to  the  Twelve  about 
His  approaching  death  and  resurrection.  This  time  He  spoke  more 
in  detail  than  before.  Read  again  Mark  10:32-34,  and  note  the  vari- 
ous steps  described,  including  the  trial  before  the  Sanhedrin  and  the 
deliverance  to  the  Roman  authorities.  The  subsequent  narrative 
makes  it  evident  that  the  Twelve  still  failed  to  understand  Him. 

Personal  Thought :  Suspense  is  hard  to  bear.  That  Jesus  found 
it  to  be  so  is  indicated  by  a  statement  preserved  in  Luke:  "I  have  a 
baptism  to  be  baptized  with,  and  how  am  I  straitened  until  it  be  ac- 
complished!" (Luke  12:50).  To  His  active  imagination  the  details 
of  a  trial  by  the  Jewish  supreme  court  and  of  an  execution  at  the 
hands  of  the  Roman  soldiers  began  to  stand  out  in  daily  vision.  If 
you  find  yourself  facing  some  impending  evil,  remember,  as  did  Jesus, 
that  the  suffering  is  not  final.     "After  three  days  He  shall  rise  again." 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         91 


Study  Xl.—^tms  (Bnteitlt  (?5aUIee  ^Tnfitrtirtinff  t^e  ©tocltc 

{Continued) 

Sixth  Day  :  The  Personal  Ambition  of  the  Two  Leaders  Becomes 
Very  Offensive.     Mark  10:35-45;  Matt.  20  :  20-28 

While  Jesus'  mind  was  filled  with  the  thought  of  His  approaching 
suffering,  two  of  the  Twelve  determined  to  make  a  decisive  effort  to 
secure  the  coveted  places  of  leadership  in  the  new  state.  According 
to  Matthew's  Gospel,  their  mother,  who,  judging  from  the  fieiy  tem- 
perament of  her  sons  (cf.  Mark  3:17),  may  have  been  an  energetic 
and  ambitious  woman,  helped  them  in  the  effort.  Read  Mark  10:35- 
40  and  Matt.  20:20-21.  Jesus  evidently  felt  that  at  present  there 
was  no  hope  of  freeing  their  minds  from  the  political  conception,  and 
so  spoke  as  He  did  in  v.  40.  To  whom  did  He  mean  to  ascribe  the 
bestowal  of  such  honor .''  Which  one  of  the  ten  was  probably  most 
indignant  (v.  41).^  In  v.  42  Jesus  accommodated  Himself  to  their 
political  conception,  and  by  an  appeal  to  their  Jewish  pride  tried  to 
shame  them  into  an  abandonment  of  the  spirit  which  characterized 
the  great  Gentile  empires  of  the  world.  In  w.  43-44  Jesus  stated 
the  law  of  greatness  in  the  Kingdom.  Write  out  with  considerable 
care  answers  to  these  questions:  In  general,  what  is  a  "great  "  man .? 
How  does  being  a  servant  make  a  man  "great".''  How  far  should 
one  go  in  "serving"  another?  Are  not  many  people  injured  by  being 
"served"  too  much.?  Determine  carefully  what  one's  definition  of 
"serve"  ought  to  be. 

Jesus  closes  His  conversation  with  the  wonderful  word  in  v.  45, 
reverting  again  to  the  thought  which  was  uppermost  in  His  mind  at 
this  time.  It  suggests  the  significance  of  the  death  of  Jesus,  which 
is  a  topic  discussed  in  "Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His 
Apostles." 

Personal  Thought: 

"  May  every  soul  that  touches  mine, 

Be  it  the  slightest  contact,  get  therefrom  some  good — 

Some  little  grace,  one  kindly  thought. 

One  aspiration  yet  unfelt,  one  bit  of  courage  for  the  darkening  sky, 

One  gleam  of  faith  to  brave  the  thickening  ills  of  life. 

One  glimpse  of  brighter  skies  beyond  the  gathering  mists. 

To  make  this  life  worth  while,  and  heaven  a  surer  heritage  !  " 


92         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XL— f  esttfif  ©utfiitUe  (0alilec  ^^nfitrttctinff  tj)c  iZttoelbe 

{Concluded) 

Seventh  Day  :  The  Last  Stage  in  the  Journey  to  Jerusalem.    Mark 
10:46-52;  Matt.  20:29-34;  Luke  18:35-19:10 

1.  Jesus  stopped  for  a  night  at  Jericho,  in  the  midst  of  its  beautiful 
palms  and  luxuriant  vegetation,  only  fifteen  miles  from  Jerusalem. 
He  did  two  characteristic  things  here.  The  first  is  described  in  Luke 
19:1-10.  Read  the  paragraph,  remembering  how  Jesus  had  thrown 
the  rabbinism  of  Galilee  into  a  ferment  by  similar  conduct  there. 
Before  the  very  gates  of  Jerusalem,  the  center  of  the  most  intolerant 
rabbinism  of  the  nation,  He  will  still  stand  firmly  by  His  principles! 

Zacchaeus  instantly  responded  with  enthusiasm  to  Jesus'  kindly 
approach.  He  evidently  knew  what  Jesus'  ideals  were  and  deter- 
mined then  and  there  to  be  kind  and  honest  (read  v.  8  again).  In 
what  sense  had  Zaccha;us  been  "lost"  (v.  10).''  To  whom  had  he 
been  "lost"?  Answer  as  best  you  can.  The  subject  comes  up  for 
discussion  in  the  "Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles." 

2.  The  other  thing  that  Jesus  did  is  described  in  Mark  10:46-52. 
Read  it  with  active  imagination.  It  is  significant  that  this  blind  man 
raised  the  Messianic  cry  (vv.  47-48),  and  that  many  in  the  great  pro- 
cession undertook  the  long  climb  to  Jerusalem  with  an  enthusiastic 
sense  of  bringing  the  Messiah  to  His  capital  city. 

3.  Review  briefly  the  progress  made  in  this  last  main  division  of 
the  Gospel,  namely,  Mark  7:24-10:52.  This  you  can  do  by  turning 
back  to  Study  IX,  First  Day,  and  reading  rapidly  the  titles  of  each 
day's  work  through  Studies  IX-XI. 

4.  We  have  come  now  to  the  last  week  of  Jesus'  life,  with  its  swift 
development  and  the  event  that  has  made  it  the  central  week  in  all 
human  history.  Before  we  begin  its  study  we  shall  take  compara- 
tively rapid  surveys  of  Matthew's  and  Luke's  narratives  of  the  period 
we  have  just  finished  in  Mark,  noting  what  they  add  and  the  peculiari- 
ties of  their  view-point. 

Personal  Thought:  The  profound  loneliness  of  Jesus  is  very  im- 
pressive. Crowds  are  all  about  Him,  the  hum  of  Messianic  expec- 
tation is  in  the  air.  But  no  one  understands  Him.  His  nearest 
friends,  the  Twelve,  fail  utterly  to  comprehend  His  idea.  A  spiritual 
gulf  separates  Him  from  those  who  seem  to  know  Him  best.  He  is 
all  alone  and  without  sympathy.  "And  yet  I  am  not  alone  because 
the  Father  is  with  me"  (John  16:32).  This  trust  in  the  Fatherly 
God  we  need  to  develop  as  our  fundamental  and  ultimate  resource. 


PART   I 

STUDIES    IN   THE   LIFE    OF   JESUS    CHRIST   AS 
PRESENTED    IN   THE    SYNOPTIC    GOSPELS 

2.  General   Survey  of  the   Life  of  Christ  up  to  the 

Last  Week,  According  to  Matthew. 

Studies  XII-XIIl 


Introductory   Note    on    Matthew   and 
His   Gospel 

Mark,  as  we  have  seen,  was  a  Jerusalem  boy  and  grew  to  young 
manhood  under  the  conservative  influences  of  the  southern  province. 
Matthew,  at  least  during  his  manhood,  was  a  resident  of  the  north- 
ern province,  a  Galilean.  He  belonged  to  the  comparatively  irre- 
ligious element  and  was  led,  probably  by  a  strong  desire  for  money, 
to  accept  a  position  as  customs  oflicer  under  the  Roman  government. 
His  oflnice  was  in  Capernaum,  on  the  great  Roman  road  that  ran  be- 
tween Damascus  and  the  Mediterranean.  He  was  attracted  by 
Jesus'  interest  in  the  irreligious,  and  when  finally  invited  by  Jesus 
to  join  the  inner  circle  of  His  followers,  resigned  his  office,  became 
a  disciple,  and  finally  an  apostle.  He  seems  to  have  been  sometimes 
called  "Levi"  (Matt.  9:9,  Mark  2:14). 

Papias  (see  Introductory  Note  on  Mark  and  his  Gospel),  as  quoted 
by  Eusebius'  Church  History,  HI,  39,  says:  "So  then  Matthew 
wrote  the  Oracles  (logia)  in  the  Hebrew  language  and  everyone 
interpreted  them  as  he  was  able."  Eusebius  himself  says  (Church 
History,  HI,  24):  "Matthew,  who  had  at  first  preached  to  the 
Hebrews,  when  he  was  about  to  go  to  other  peoples  committed  his 
Gospel  to  writing  in  his  native  tongue  and  thus  compensated  those 
whom  he  was  obliged  to  leave  for  the  loss  of  his  presence."  Just 
what  this  Hebrew  (Aramaic)  collection  of  "logia"  was,  and  what 
its  relation  to  our  Greek  "Gospel  according  to  Matthew"  was,  is 
one  of  the  questions  connected  with  the  "Synoptic  Problem."  (The 
"Synoptic  Problem"  is  the  problem  of  discovering  the  process  by 
which  the  first  three  Gospels  took  their  present  literary  form.) 

The  Gospel,  as  will  be  seen  in  the  enumeration  of  its  characteristic 
peculiarities,  is  apparently  written  by  a  Jew  for  Jews  (or  for  those 
under  Jewish  influence)  and  yet,  if  so,  for  Jews  who  did  not  speak 
Aramaic(i  :23,27:33)  and  who  did  not  live  in  Palestine (26: 36,  27: 15). 
It  assumes  considerable  Jewish  opposition  to  Jesus'  Messiahship 
(e.  g.  28: 15),  and  is  somewhat  polemical.  Its  aim  seems  to  be  to  show 
to  some  who  doubted  it  that  Jesus  really  met  the  demands  of  the 
true  Messianic  ideal  of  the  prophets. 

Some  statements  in  chapter  24  (e.  g.  v.  15)  seem  to  indicate  that  the 
date  of  the  Gospel  in  its  present  form  was  about  the  time  of  the  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem,  70  a.d. 

95 


g6         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XII.— (General  ^urbcp   of  tl)e  life  of  '^tene  up  to  tl)e 

last  Wteii,  Stccortinn  to  -ptattbeto 

First  Day:  Peculiarities  of  Matthew's  Gospel 

Certain  peculiarities  which  will  be  noticed  repeatedly  in  the  survey 
of  Matthew's  Gospel  may  be  enumerated  at  the  start. 

1.  Its  view-point  is  strongly  Jewish: 

(1)  Note  where  the  genealogy  begins  (Matt.  1:1-2)  and  contrast 

Luke  3:38. 

(2)  Events  in  the  life  of  Jesus  are  regarded  by  the  author  as  ful- 

filments of  Jewish  prophecy,  e.  g.  2:15,  18,  23. 

(3)  Strong  emphasis  is  placed  on  the  Jewish  law  and  its  spiritual 

fulfilment,  e.  g.,  5:17-20,  23:1-3. 

(4)  Frequent  allusions  are  made  to  things  especially  interesting 

or  intelligible  to  Jews,  e.  g.  the  last  clause  of  24:20,  which 
does  not  appear  in  Mark  13:18;  and  many  other  places. 

(5)  Emphasis  is  placed  on  the  fact  that  Jesus  came  first  to  the 

Jews.     Compare  Matt.  10:5-6  with  Mark  6:7  fF. 

2.  Although  its  view-point  is  so  strongly  Jewish,  it  contains  very 
marked  denunciations  of  the  Jewish  leaders  and  emphasizes  the  ac- 
ceptance of  the  Gentiles  in  place  of  the  Jews.  Contrast  Matt.  21 :43 
with  Mark  12:9.  It  alone  brings  out  the  dramatic  contrast  of 
Matt.  27:24-25.     Many  other  instances  will  be  noted. 

3.  Its  parables  of  judgment  are  conspicuous,  e.  g.  chapter  25,  and 
its  allusions  to  the  judgment  are  somewhat  frequent. 

4.  It  contains  long  discourses  and  makes  the  teaching  of  Jesus 
prominent,  e.  g.  chapters  5-7,  23-25. 

5.  Its  miracles  seem  to  be  grouped,  e.  g.  chapters  8-9;  in  general 
its  arrangement  seems  to  be  logical,  rather  than  chronological. 

6.  Certain  phrases  or  words  are  peculiar:  "Kingdom  of  Heaven" 
appears  only  in  this  Gospel,  but  here  almost  to  the  complete  exclusion 
of  "Kingdom  of  God";  "verily,"  "your  Father,"  "church,"  etc. 

Personal  Thought:  Each  of  the  Gospels  presents  the  person  of 
Jesus  Christ  from  its  own  view-point.  One  view  may  appeal  to 
some  minds  more  effectively  than  any  other  view.  Someone  has 
said  that  there  are  five  Gospels:  the  Gospel  according  to  Matthew, 
Mark,  Luke,  John,  and  the  Gospel  according  to  you.  This  gospel  of 
your  life  is  the  only  one  that  some  will  read. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ         97 


Study  XIL— (??cncral  ^urtep   of  t\)t  Life  of   '^tenti  up  to  tj)e 
last  Wetk,  according;  to  i5lattl)ctD 

Second  Day:  Events  Preceding  the  Public  Life  of  Jesus.     Matt. 

1 :  1-25 

1.  The  Jewish  character  of  this  Gospel  appears  in  the  presence 
of  the  genealogy  at  the  forefront  and  in  the  placing  of  the  name  of  the 
great  Jew,  Abraham,  at  the  head  of  the  list.  Family  pride  in  Davidic 
lineage  would  make  it  certain  that  Jesus'  family  would  preserve  its 
genealogical  records  (cf.  Phil.  3:5).  The  grouping  in  v.  17  was  per- 
haps intended  to  aid  the  memory,  and  may  be  an  indication  that 
this  Gospel  was  taught  orally  to  classes  of  Christian  converts  before 
it  took  its  present  written  form. 

2.  A  man  named  Joseph  is  informed  by  an  angel  in  a  dream  that 
the  pregnancy  of  the  young  woman  betrothed  to  htm  is  not  an  evidence 
of  her  shame,  but  has  been  produced  by  the  Spirit  of  God;  the  child 
will  be  a  son,  who  is  to  be  called  Jesus  (^"Jehovah's  deliverance"^  for 
He  will  "deliver"  the  nation  from  sin  (l :  18-25).  Read  1 :  18-25.  Un- 
chastity  in  a  betrothed  woman  seems  to  have  been  regarded  as  the 
same  crime  in  a  married  woman.  Joseph,  being  a  "righteous" 
("just")  or  compassionate  man,  did  not  propose  to  subject  the  young 
woman  to  public  trial  and  execution.  See  evidence  of  the  Jewish 
standpoint  in  the  title  applied  to  Joseph  in  v.  20;  and  further  evidence 
in  w.  22-23,  which  are  probably  the  author's  comment  and  not  a 
part  of  the  angel's  message.  The  meaning  of  this  quotation  in  its 
original  context  cannot  here  be  discussed. 

The  narrative  in  this  paragraph  is  written  wholly  from  Joseph's 
standpoint;  nothing  is  said  of  Mary's  experience.  Luke  will  be  found 
to  write  from  Mary's  standpoint.  Is  it  probable  that  the  message 
to  Joseph  in  vv.  20-21  was  understood  by  him  to  say  that  the  son 
would  be  the  Messiah,  or  that  he  would  be  a  great  prophet  i*  What 
is  meant  by  the  saving  of  a  nation  or  a  man  from  sins  (v.  21)  ^ 

Personal  Thought:  "God  With  Us."  There  is  no  phrase  that  better 
expresses  the  final  thought  of  men  about  Jesus.  Whatever  meta- 
physical difficulties  may  be  felt  regarding  certain  important  theologi- 
cal and  philosophical  aspects  of  His  relation  to  God,  it  is  clear  that 
the  moral  sense  of  thoughtful  men  increasingly  finds  Him  to  be  "God- 
With-Us."  He  is  such  an  expression  of  God  in  terms  of  human  life, 
death,  and  resurrection  as  to  constrain  our  worshipful  recognition 
of  Him  as  Lord  and  Savior. 


98         Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XII.— (General  ^urDep  of  t\)t   life  of  ^efiojf  op  to  t\)t 
last  Wttii,  according:  to  i$tattl)eli} 

Third  Day:  Events  Preceding  the   Public  Life  of  Jesus,  (con- 
cluded.)    Matt.  2:1-4:11. 

1.  Soon  after  the  birth  of  Jesus,  magians  from  the  East  appear  in 
Jerusalem  inquiring  for  the  new-born  Jewish  King,  whose  star  they 
have  seen  in  the  heavens;  they  alarm  King  Herod,  who  refers  them 
to  the  priests  and  rabbis;  as  a  result  they  find  the  babe  Jesus  in  Beth- 
lehem (2:1-12).  The  impressive  figures  of  these  magians  from  the 
East  in  the  streets  of  Jerusalem  stirred  the  city.  Professor  Ramsay 
has  said  that  the  magians  were  the  ancient  progenitors  of  two  very 
different  modem  men,  the  conjurer  and  the  man  of  science.  There 
were  doubtless  different  kinds  of  magians.  These  men  in  Matthew 
were  quite  different  from  Magian  Simon  in  Acts  8:9-24.  They  do 
not  talk  Hke  Jews,  and  were  probably  foreigners  who  had  been  at- 
tracted to  the  worship  of  Jehovah  which  was  carried  on  by  Jews 
scattered  through  all  the  eastern  country.  It  is  significant  of  Mat- 
thew's view-point  (see  First  Day,  §  2  of  this  study)  that  it  is  foreigners 
rather  than  Jewish  leaders  who  recognize  the  Messiah.  Read  Matt. 
2:1-12.  How  long  had  these  magians  been  studying  this  sign  in  the 
heavens  (cf.  v.  16).?  It  is  difficult  to  understand  exactly  what  hap- 
pened in  the  scene  described  in  v.  9.  Perhaps  on  this  night  in  Beth- 
lehem the  star  was  in  the  zenith  and  shone  with  a  brightness  which  was 
of  peculiar  significance  to  the  magians. 

2.  King  Herod  kills  all  the  male  infants  in  the  village  two  years 
old  and  under,  but  the  parents  of  Jesus  escape  wtth  the  child  into  Egypt; 
after  Herod's  death  they  return  and  settle  in  Nazareth  (2 :  13-23).  Herod 
considered  the  Messiah  simply  as  a  political  rival,  who  could  be  dis- 
posed of  as  so  many  other  rivals  had  been  disposed  of  by  him.  He 
seems  to  have  summoned  a  special  meeting  of  the  Sanhedrin  in  re- 
sponse to  the  inquiry  of  the  magians.  Is  this  narrative  written  from 
the  standpoint  of  Joseph  or  Mary  ?  V.  15  is  a  quotation  from  Hosea 
11:1,  which  in  the  original  prophecy  referred  to  the  calling  of  the 
nation  out  of  Egyptian  bondage.  V.  18  quotes  Jeremiah  31:15, 
which  poetically  represents  Rachel  rising  from  the  grave  to  weep  for 
her  children  taken  captive  by  Nebuchadnezzar.  Rachel  was  buried 
near  Bethlehem  (Gen.  35:19),  and  therefore  this  tragedy  in  Bethle- 
hem reminds  the  author  of  the  passage  in  Jeremiah.     There  were 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ        99 


probably  only  a  few  children  killed,  and,  gruesome  as  the  incident 
is,  it  is  so  trifling  when  compared  with  many  other  deeds  of  Herod 
that  it  probably  attracted  comparatively  little  attention. 

There  is  no  passage  in  which  the  Messiah  is  spoken  of  as  a  "Naza- 
rene"  (v.  23),  but  sometimes,  e.  g.  Isaiah  53,  He  is  spoken  of  as  a  re- 
proach, and  such  seems  to  have  been  the  reputation  of  Nazarenes 
(John  1:46).  The  author's  habit  of  interpreting  Old  Testament 
passages  comes  clearly  out  in  this  chapter. 

3.  John  the  Baptizer,  a  rough  prophet  of  the  wilderness,  calls  the 
nation  to  a  baptism  of  repentance  in  view  of  the  nearness  of  the  King- 
dom of  God  (3:1-12).  This  passage  has  been  read  before.  Com- 
pare V.  7  with  Luke  ^-.J  and  see  whether  you  detect  anything  more 
strictly  Jewish  in  Matthew  than  in  Luke. 

4.  Jesus  is  baptized  by  John  the  Baptizer,  and  at  the  baptism  sees 
a  vision  and  hears  Himself  declared  by  a  voice  from  heaven  to  be  the 
Messianic  Son  of  God  (3:13-17).  This  has  been  read  before.  Do 
you  see  anything  in  v.  15  that  is  suggestive  of  Matthew's  peculiarities 
as  stated  in  the  First  Day's  study .? 

5.  Jesus  retires  to  the  wilderness,  where,  after  prolonged  meditation 
and  fasting.  He  successfully  resists  a  fierce  threefold  temptation  (4 :  l-l  i ) 
Is  there  anything  Jewish  in  Matt.  4:5  compared  with  Luke  4:9  ? 

*'  O  little  town  of  Bethlehem, 

How  still  we  see  thee  lie  ! 
Above  thy  deep  and  dreamless  sleep 

The  silent  stars  go  by. 
Yet  in  thy  dark  streets  shineth 

The  everlasting  light ; 
The  hopes,  and  fears  of  all  the  years 

Are  met  in  thee  to-night." 

**  How  silently,  how  silently. 
The  wondrous  gift  is  given  ! 
So  God  imparts  to  human  hearts 

The  blessings  of  his  heaven. 
No  ear  may  hear  his  coming  j 

But  in  this  world  of  sin. 
Where  meek  souls  will  receive  him  still 
The  dear  Christ  enters  in. '  * 

Philufs  Brooks. 


loo       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XII.— (Stncral  ^urtcp  of  tljc   Life  of  ^tme  tip  to  tl)c 
Last  Wtek,  Slccortitng;  to  iHattbcto 

Fourth   Day:  Jesus  in   Galilee    as    Prophet-Healer.     Matt.   4: 

12-7: 29 

I.  The  division  between  Jesus'  Galilean  and  His  extra-Galilean 
ministry  is  not  so  clearly  made  as  in  Mark.  The  situations  in  Mark 
7:24,  9:30,  io:i  do  not  appear  in  Matthew,  yet  the  main  divisions 
made  in  Mark  appear,  though  less  sharply  defined,  as  follows: 

1.  Jesus  in  Galilee  as  Prophet-Healer,  Matt.  4:12-15:20  (Mark 
1:14-7:23). 

II.  Jesus  Outside  Galilee  Instructing  the  Twelve,  Matt.  15:21- 
20:34  (Mark  7:24-10:52). 

III.  The  Last  Week  in  Jerusalem,  Matt.  21-27  (Mark  11-15). 

IV.  The  Resurrection,  Matt.  28  (Mark  16). 

2.  The  first  subdivision  of  the  first  main  division  (4:12-15:20) 
is  4:12-25:  The  public  career  of  Jesus  begins;  some  time  after  His 
temptation,  when  the  wilderness  prophet  has  been  imprisoned,  Jesus 
appears  in  Galilee,  catches  up  the  message  of  John  the  Baptizer,  as- 
sociates four  men  with  Himself,  and  soon  becomes  widely  famous  as 
a  prophet-healer.  Read  this  subdivision  rapidly  through.  What 
characteristic  peculiarity  of  Matthew  appears  in  the  first  few  sen- 
tences ?  What  in  v.  17  compared  with  Mark  1:15?  The  quota- 
don  in  vv.  15-16  is  from  Is.  9:1,  where  "Galilee  of  the  Gentiles,"  or 
the  "Gentile  Section,"  that  had  been  most  exposed  to  the  terrifying 
attacks  of  Gentile  powers,  had  deliverance  promised. 

3.  The  second  subdivision  is  chapters  5-7:  Jesus  delivers  a  dis- 
course on  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  and  its  righteousness  in  which  He 
defines  His  attitude  towards  the  religions  leaders  of  the  nation  and  the 
law  of  Moses.  These  chapters  we  have  already  studied.  Glance 
through  them  for  characteristic  peculiarities  as  follows:  What 
general  characteristic  appears  in  5:17-48.''  What  special  character- 
istic in  5:20?  What  specially  Jewish  phrase  in  5:22.''  In  5:23-24.'' 
In  5 :  35  ?     In  5 :  46-47  .?    With  5 :  46-47  compare  Luke  6 :  32-34. 

Personal  Thought:  "Ye  are  the  light  of  the  world"  (5:14)-  A 
personality  with  clear,  rational  convictions  regarding  God  and  the 
life  to  come,  giving  faithful  expression  to  these  convictions  in  the 
life  that  now  is,  is  a  light  to  any  group  of  men.  On  the  small  scale 
of  our  daily  relationships  such  a  one  gives  an  eternal  hght  "to  all 
that  are  in  the  house"  (v.  15). 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       loi 


Study  XII. —(General  ^urliep  of  fitt  life  of   ^ceitts  up  to  tl)c 
last  Wceii,  accorUing:  to  ilattl)eto 

Fifth  Day:  Jesus    in    Galilee     as    Prophet-Healer    (continued). 
Matt.  8:1-17 

1.  The  third  subdivision  is  8:1-9:34.  Read  at  present  only  the 
references  in  the  following  summary:  In  nine  instances  Jesus  exer- 
cises healing  power,  and  in   one  instance  marvelous  power  over  nature 

.  (8:26);  the  religious  leaders  disapprove  of  Him  (9:3,  1 1,  34),  hut  the 
people  are  enthusiastic  in  His  favor  (8:l;  9:8,  10,  31,  33).  In  4:23- 
25  a  general  statement  was  made  about  Jesus'  power  as  a  prophet- 
healer;  in  chapters  5-7  a  wonderful  exhibition  of  His  power  as  a 
prophet  was  given,  and  now  in  chapters  8-9  wonderful  exhibitions 
of  His  power  as  a  healer  are  given. 

Read  8:1-4,  the  account  of  a  leprous  man  secretly  cured,  and  com- 
pare it  with  Mark  i :  40-45.  Which  is  the  more  vivid  account  ?  Mark 
emphasizes  the  relation  of  the  incident  to  the  general  progress  of 
Jesus'  work;  Matthew  simply  records  it  as  an  illustration  of  Jesus' 
healing  power. 

2.  Read  8:5-13:  A  Roman  army  officer  urgently  appeals  to  Jesus  to 
cure  his  servant  who  is  in  a  distressing  condition  because  of  palsy: 
he  fears  that  Jesus  may  have  scruples  about  entering  a  foreign  house, 
and  suggests  that  He  cure  him  without  going  to  the  house;  Jesus  is 
greatly  astonished  at  the  captain  s  confidence  in  His  ability  to  per- 
form cures  at  a  distance,  and  is  led  to  speak  with  enthusiasm  of  the 
place  to  be  occupied  by  foreigners  in  the  new  Kingdom.  This  army 
officer  was  one  of  a  somewhat  numerous  class  of  foreigners  who,  with- 
out becoming  full  Jewish  proselytes,  worshipped  Jehovah  and  attended 
the  synagogue  services.  In  v.  8  he  attributes  to  Jesus  the  power  to 
produce  results  at  a  distance  in  the  spiritual  world  through  orders, 
which  he  himself  possessed  in  the  military  world.  Vv.  ii-li  present 
the  figure  of  the  Messianic  banquet.  Note  Matthew's  emphasis  of  the 
rejection  of  the  Jews  in  v.  12,  which  is  absent  from  Luke's  account 
(yet  see  Luke  13:29-30).     Luke  7:3-5  adds  an  interesting  detail. 

Personal  Thought:  Perhaps  we  do  not  sufficiently  think  of  one 
thing  that  comes  out  here,  namely,  the  personal  satisfaction  which 
Jesus  feels  when  people  have  faith  in  Him.  With  this  thought  in 
mind,  express  to  Him  to-day  your  confidence  in  Him. 


I02       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Stitdy  XII.— (Scncral  :§>urtcj>  of  tj)c  life  of  ^teua  up  to  tl[)c 
Last  Wnii,  accorHinff  to  iHattJ)cto 

Sixth  Day:  Jesus    in    Galilee    as    Prophet-Healer    (continued). 
Matt.  8:18-27 

In  8:18-22  Jesus  seems  to  wish  to  avoid  the  popularity  that  His 
cures  have  occasioned:  A  rabbi  who  would  join  Htm  is  urged  to  count 
the  cost,  but  a  disciple  who  hesitates  to  continue  with  Him  is  urged 
to  follow  Him.  Read  the  paragraph.  Why  did  the  sight  of  the 
multitudes  lead  Jesus  to  cross  the  lake  (v.  18).''  The  hostility  of 
the  rabbis  has  not  yet  appeared  in  Matthew,  and  now  one  of  them 
even  wishes  to  attach  himself  to  Jesus'  band  of  disciples.  Why  did 
Jesus  receive  his  approach  with  such  an  apparent  lack  of  cordiality  ? 
In  answering  this  question,  remember  what  the  social  ambitions 
of  the  rabbis  as  a  class  were  (see  Matt.  23:5-7),  and  what  promise 
of  their  gratification  the  presence  of  the  "multitudes"  (v.  18)  might 
seem  to  afford.  Exactly  what  state  of  things  is  described  in  v.  20  ."* 
Is  it  poverty  ?  Does  it  mean  that  He  traveled  constantly  ?  What 
had  He  done  with  the  money  that  He  had  earned  during  the  years 
that  He  had  worked  at  His  trade  in  Nazareth  ? 

Over  against  this  somewhat  strange  disposition  to  leave  the  muld- 
tude  (v.  18)  and  repel  the  rabbi  (v.  20),  appears  a  certain  solicitude 
to  retain  one  of  His  disciples  who  had  suggested  leaving  Him  (w.  21- 
22).  The  departure  to  the  other  side  seems  to  have  been  taken, 
both  by  the  confident  rabbi  and  the  hesitating  disciple,  as  an  event 
of  considerable  significance.  It  was  apparently  in  some  sense  a 
critical  time.  Perhaps  Jesus  seemed  to  them  to  be  now  planning 
to  operate  in  some  larger  field  than  the  province  of  Galilee.  What 
did  the  disciple  mean  by  "burying  his  father"?  Burial  followed 
\vithin  a  very  few  hours  after  death;  was  it  probable  that  the  disciple 
requested  merely  to  be  excused  for  a  few  hours .?  Jesus'  reply  con- 
tains one  of  his  favorite  word  plays,  such  as  Mark  8:35.  Who  are 
the  "dead"  that  are  to  do  the  burying.? 

Vv.  23-27  add  nothing  to  the    parallel  in  Mark  4:35-41. 

Personal  Thought :  Jesus  was  trying  to  reproduce  in  the  ambi- 
tious rabbi  and  the  hesitating  disciple  His  own  strenuous  sense  of 
the  supreme  importance  of  the  Kingdom.  Do  all  social  and  busi- 
ness successes  seem  small  to  us  in  comparison  with  the  broadening 
influence  of  the  gospel  f  Do  our  plans  include  broader  interests  than 
those  of  the  home  circle  f 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       103 


Study  XI I. —General  ^urtep  of  tlje   life   of  STf^ae  ttp  to  tlje 
last  WttK  StccorUtng:  to  iHattljcto 

Seventh  Day:  Jesus  in  Galilee   as  Prophet-Healer  (continued). 
Matt.  8:28-9:34 

Matt.  8:28-34  affords  a  good  opportunity  to  compare  Matthew 
and  Mark.  Keep  Mark  5:  1-20  before  you  as  you  read  Matthew. 
Which  is  the  longer  account  ?     Which  is  the  more  vivid  .? 

Glance  at  Matt.  9:1-8,  which  is  parallel  to  Mark  2:1-12:  Another 
case  of  palsy  is  brought  to  Jesus,  and  before  He  cures  it  He  assures 
the  sufferer  that  his  sins  are  forgiven.  This  seems  to  some  of  the  rabbis 
to  be  blasphemous,  but  the  people  rejoice  in  Jesus'  power. 

Glance  at  Matt.  9:9-13,  parallel  to  Mark  2:13-17:  Jesus  invites  a 
tax  collector  named  Matthew  to  join  His  company,  and  attends  a  great 
banquet  in  Matthew's  house  at  which  many  tax  collectors  are  present. 
This  scandalizes  the  Pharisees,  but  Jesus  defends  His  conduct. 

Glance  at  9:14-17,  which  is  parallel  to  Mark  2:18-22:  The 
disciples  of  John  the  Baptist  criticise  Jesus  because  He  does  not  re- 
quire His  disciples  to  fast,  but  Jesus  justifies  His  conduct. 

Matt.  9:18-26  affords  another  good  opportunity  to  compare  Mat- 
thew and  Mark.  Keep  Mark  5:21-43  before  you  as  you  read  Mat- 
thew.    Which  account  is  longer  ?     Which  is  the  more  vivid  ? 

Read  Matt.  9:27-31,  which  has  no  parallel  in  Mark:  Jesus  cures  two 
blind  men,  who  follow  Him  home  calling  Him  the  Messiah.  These  two 
men  have  surmised  that  Jesus  is  the  Messiah.  Perhaps  this  incident 
occurred  later  when  this  surmise  was  more  general,  for  Matthew  seems 
not  to  keep  the  chronological  order.  Their  surmise  may  explain 
Jesus'  stern  charge  to  them  (see  v.  30,  margin  R.  V.). 

Read  Matt.  9:32-34:  Jesus  cures  a  dumb  demoniac,  and  the  people 
are  greatly  impressed,  but  the  rabbis  advance  the  Beelzebub  hypothesis. 

Personal  Thought:  These  two  companions  in  darkness  (vv.  27-31), 
following  Jesus  along  the  street  with  the  blind  man's  uncertain  step 
having  only  some  meagre,  vague  sense  of  what  His  Messiahship  was, 
but  feeHng  that  He  could  help  them  in  their  need,  are  very  like  to 
us  in  some  phases  of  our  Christian  development. 

"  But  what  am  I  ? 
An  infant  crying  in  the  night: 
An  infant  crying  for  the  light: 
And  with  no  language  but  a  cry." 

Tennyson,  In  Memoriam. 


I04       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XIII.— Enteral  giurbcp  o£  tbc  Life  of  '^t&M  up  to  ti\t 
last  Wttii,  accorUinff  to  iHattI)eto  (Continued) 

First  Day:  Jesus  in  Galilee  as  Prophet-Healer  (continued). 
Matt.  9:35-12:50 

1.  The  fourth  suhdivision  of  this  first  main  division  (4:12-15:20) 
is  9:35-11  •  I.  Read  the  following  characterization  and  the  par- 
enthetical references:  It  appears  that  among  the  " disctples"  there 
is  a  nucleus  of  twelve  men  called  "  apostles"  (10:1-2);  the  preaching 
and  healing  work  of  Jesus  so  dex'elops  (9:35)  ond  the  incompetence 
of  the  religious  leaders  becomes  so  evident  (9:36)  that  Jesus  finds 
it  desirable  to  share  His  work  with  the  Twelve  (9:37-10:5). 

2.  Read  carefully  9:35-10:5-  No  account  of  the  appointment  of 
the  Twelve  is  given  in  Matthew  (like  that  in  Mark  3:13-19).  In 
what  respect  were  these  people  that  crowded  the  synagogues  and 
market-places  like  shepherdless  sheep  (vv.  35-36) .?  In  what  sense 
did  they  constitute  a  "harvest"  (v.  37)? 

3.  One  wonders  "what  actually  happened"  when  Jesus  gave  them 
authority  over  unclean  spirits  (10:  i).  Perhaps  He  gave  them  formu- 
las of  exorcism.  Mark  is  as  usual  more  explicit  in  describing  how 
they  healed  the  sick  (Mark  6:13). 

4.  Matt.  10:5-11:1  has  been  studied:  The  address  of  Jesus  to 
the  Twelve  as  He  sends  them  out  to  preach  the  nearness  of  the  King- 
dom and  to  heal  diseases.  Remembering  the  peculiarities  of  Matthew 
suggested  in  Study  XII,  First  Day,  see  whether  you  find  any  of  them 
in  10:6,  15,  18,  28,  or  elsewhere. 

5.  The  fifth  subdivision  of  the  first  main  division  is  11:2-12:50. 
Read  at  present  only  the  following  characterization  and  the  paren- 
thetical references:  The  antagonism  between  Jesus  and  the  religious 
leaders  now  becomes  more  marked:  they  consider  how  they  may  bring 
Him  to  trial  and  execution  (12:14),  and  He  sternly  denounces  them 
because  of  their  attitude  towards  Himself  and  John  the  Baptist  (ll :  18, 
19.  12:34,  39>  43-45)- 

Personal  Thought :  "  Pray  ye  the  Lord  of  the  harvest."  The  King- 
dom is  God's  and  the  men  who  are  to  be  gathered  into  it  are  God's. 
While  we  emphasize  our  own  responsibility  in  the  case,  being  ready 
to  give  ourselves  and  pray  God  to  send  others  also,  we  need  to  guard 
against  over-emphasizing  our  own  importance,  or  trying  to  go  be- 
fore we  are  sent.     God  is  the  Lord  of  the  Harvest. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       lOj 


Study  XIII.— General  ^urijcp  of  tt)t  life  of  ^tsu6  tip  to  tlje 

last  Wttii,  SlcCOrHtnS  to  i$lattl)eto  (Continued) 

Second  Day:  Jesus   in   Galilee   as  Prophet-Healer    (continued). 
Matt.  1 1 :  2-6. 

As  Matthew  brings  out  the  development  of  the  opposition  to  Jesus, 
he  has  occasion  to  introduce  again  John  the  Baptist,  who  had  not 
been  favored  by  the  religious  leaders.  Read  Matt.  1 1 : 2-6.  Does 
John  here  begin  to  doubt  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus  after  having  once 
been  convinced  of  it  ?  Or  does  he  here  for  the  first  time  begin  to 
surmise  that  Jesus  may  be  the  Messiah  ^  The  announcement  in 
3:17  seems  to  have  been  addressed  to  him.  Also  in  John's  Gospel 
he  is  clearly  represented  as  recognizing  Jesus'  Messiahship  at  the 
beginning.  Read  John  1:29-34,  especially  v.  34.  If  John  the 
Baptist  did  recognize  Jesus'  Messiahship  at  the  beginning,  he  evi- 
dently acquiesced  in  Jesus'  concealment  of  it  from  the  public  and 
cooperated  vdth  Him  to  the  extent  of  retaining  disciples  of  his  own 
(Matt.  11:2).  What,  then,  can  now  have  occurred  to  make  John 
the  Baptist  doubt  Jesus'  Messiahship  and  query  whether  He  might 
not  simply  be  another  prophet  hke  himself.?  In  answering  this  ques- 
tion, consider  the  effect  of  prison  life  upon  a  man  accustomed  to  the 
free  Hfe  of  the  wilderness.  Consider  also  this  more  fundamental 
question:  In  what  respect  had  Jesus  failed  thus  far  to  meet  John 
the  Baptist's  ideals  of  Messiahship  as  presented  in  Matt.  3:7-12.'' 
Jesus'  reply  to  John  the  Baptist  contains  no  explicit  declaration  of 
His  Messiahship,  but  He  describes  what  He  is  doing  in  terms  sug- 
gesrive  of  John  the  Baptist's  favorite  Messianic  prophet,  Isaiah. 
Compare  v.  5  vdth  Is.  35:5-6,  61 :  i.  He  adds  also  His  own  personal 
exhortation  to  His  lonely  friend  (v.  6).  The  Gospels  give  only  very 
condensed  accounts.  It  is  probable  that  Jesus  and  John  the  Baptist 
had  had  much  to  do  vsrith  each  other  after  the  baptism  of  Jesus  and 
that  this  personal  word  from  Jesus  meant  much  to  John.  If  John 
read  the  context  of  the  passage  suggested  by  Jesus'  message,  it  must 
have  seemed  very  significant  to  him!     Read  Is.  35:3-6. 

Personal  Thought:  The  most  conclusive  evidence  of  Jesus'  Mes- 
siahship now,  as  then,  is  what  He  shows  Himself  able  to  do.  In- 
cluded in  this  to-day  is  what  He  shows  Himself  able  to  inspire  men 
to  do.  If  we  yield  fully  to  His  inspiration,  what  we  may  do  will  con- 
stitute a  practical  and  most  convincing  proof  of  His  Messiahship. 


io6       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XIII.— General  §>niDcp  of  tl)c  life  of  S^ceuji  up  to  t^t 
last  Wtsii.,  SttcotUing;  to  ;fftattl)eto  (Continued) 

Third  Day:  Jesus    in    Galilee    as    Prophet-Healer    (continued) 
Matt.  11:7-15. 

When  John  the  Baptist's  messengers  had  started  on  their  journey 
to  the  Castle  of  Machaerus  among  the  crags  of  Moab,  Jesus  talked 
to  the  people  about  His  great  prophet  friend  in  terms  of  enthusiastic 
appreciation.  The  fact  that  Jesus  had  concealed  His  Messiahship 
and  appeared  simply  as  a  prophet-healer  had  seemed  to  place  Him 
upon  the  same  plane  with  John  the  Baptist  and  the  two  had  seemed 
to  some  to  be  rivals.  Read  the  evidence  of  this  in  John  3:26-30, 
4:1-3.  With  this  conception  of  the  situation  read  Matt.  11:7-15. 
Imagine  how  these  words  of  generous  appreciation  must  have  im- 
pressed the  people.  Vv.  7-8  seem  to  indicate  that  John  had  been 
criticised  by  some  in  two  particulars.  What  were  they  ?  Perhaps 
some  thought  that  he  had  got  himself  unnecessarily  into  trouble.  In 
V.  10  Jesus  represents  John  to  be  an  epoch-making  man.  He  is  the 
messenger  of  Jehovah  who  prepares  the  road  on  which  Jehovah  (here 
in  the  person  of  His  Messiah)  shall  travel  as  He  comes  in  judgment 
to  begin  His  Reign  (see.  Mai.  3:1).  In  v.  il  Jesus  seems  to  assume 
that  John  the  Baptist  will  not  survive  to  be  a  member  of  the  King- 
dom of  Heaven.  In  what  sense  is  the  humblest  member  of  the  New 
Order  superior  to  this  greatest  man  of  the  Old  Order  ?  In  personal 
character .?  In  knowledge  ?  In  privilege  ^  Write  your  answer 
carefully.  In  v.  12  Jesus  refers  to  the  violent  rushing  of  men  to  hear 
both  John's  and  His  own  message  regarding  the  Kingdom.  They 
have  stormed  their  way  unintelligently  towards  the  Kingdom,  having 
no  conception  of  its  real  character.  Jesus  has  been  obliged  to  escape 
from  the  crowds  (Matt.  8:18).  "For  all  have  realized  that  John 
was  finally  proclaiming  the  presence  of  that  which  prophets  and 
law  long  promised  (v.  13).  If  you  are  willing  to  receive  the  state- 
ment, this  is  the  Elijah  whom  we  have  been  expecting  to  prepare  the 
people  for  the  Kingdom,"  (v.  14;  cf.  Mai.  4:5-6). 

Personal  Thought:  Many  times  our  doubts  spring  from  depression 
of  spirit  due  to  physical  causes.  A  student  who  deprives  himself  of 
sleep,  exercise,  and  wholesome  food  is  likely  to  doubt  whether  there 
is  a  God. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       107 


Study  XIII.— (General  ^urtcp  of  tl)t  life  of  ^T^fios  up  to  tU 

last   Wttk,  acCOriiUff  to  0im\}t)3i  (Continued) 

Fourth  Day:  Jesus   in  Galilee   as  Prophet-Healer  (continued). 
Matt.  II :  16-12:21 

In  Matt.  II :  16-24  Jesus  turns  upon  the  national  leaders  with  their 
immediate  following  and  speaks  with  stern  reproach  of  their  treat- 
ment of  John  the  Baptist  and  Himself.  He  is  not  speaking  of  the 
masses,  because  the  masses  had  been  attracted  both  to  John  the  Bap- 
tist and  Himself.  The  priests  and  rabbis,  with  their  followers,  are 
like  sulky,  ill-natured  children  who  will  not  play  either  wedding  or 
funeral,  who  will  not  respond  to  any  kind  of  approach.  Jesus,  with 
His  deep  interest  in  little  children  (remember  Mark  10:  13-16),  had 
doubtless  often  watched  the  little  children  playing  games  in  the  mar- 
ket-place. Read  vv.  16-19.  The  wisdom  of  both  John's  and  Jesus' 
course  of  action  could  be  justified  (v.  19). 

In  w.  20-24  He  becomes  more  explicit  and  attacks  certain  cities 
in  which  He  had  spent  most  time.  Read  vv.  20-24.  What  char- 
acteristics of  Matthew  appear  in  this  paragraph?  "Hades"  in  v. 
23  is  not  the  place  of  punishment,  but  is  rather  the  place  of  the  de- 
parted, and  stands  here  for  oblivion.  One  can  imagine  how  the 
rabbis  in  these  three  cities  felt  when  they  heard  of  Jesus'  utterances! 

Vv.  25-30  have  been  studied  before  in  Study  VIII,  Fifth  Day. 
Read  them  here  again,  appreciating  Jesus'  gratitude  (v.  25)  that, 
though  the  educated  leaders  were  against  Him,  the  disciples  chosen 
from  the  uneducated  classes,  whom  the  rabbis  contemptuously  called 
"babes,"  were  capable  of  receiving  the  truth  He  had  to  give.  Write 
out  the  best  amplification  you  can  of  the  phrase  "meek  and  lowly 
in  heart,"  getting  your  clue  from  the  conduct  of  Jesus.  That  is,  in 
what  do  "meekness"  and  "lowliness"  consist? 

Glance  through  12:  1-21,  the  parallel  to  which  in  Mark  has  already 
been  studied.  Notice  at  least  two  characteristics  of  Matthew  in  the 
paragraph.     Especially  compare  w.  3-9  with  Mark  2:25-28. 

Personal  Thought:  "Smoking  flax  shall  He  not  quench"  (v.  20). 
The  smoking  wick  of  flax  in  the  lamp  He  will  not  put  out.  He  ap- 
preciates the  beginnings  of  character.  He  is  not  a  critical  inspector 
ready  to  condemn  severely  all  imperfection.  As  He  goes  on  His 
conquering  way  (v.  20)  He  nurses  into  strength  and  perfection  even 
the  imperfect  beginnings  of  character.  Do  not  think  that  because  you 
are  a  tempted  man  Jesus  Christ  has  turned  away  from  you. 


io8       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XIII.— (Scncral  S»urtocp  of  fbt  life  of  "^tms  up  to  t\)t 

last  Wttk,  9lcC0rtinff  to   JHattJ^rtO    {Continued) 

Fifth  Day:    Jesus    in    Galilee    as    Prophet-Healer    (continued). 
Matt.  12:  22-50 

The  people  again  ivonder  whether  He  is  possibly  the  Messiah,  but 
the  rabbis  explain  His  power  on  the  Beelzebub  hypothesis;  fesus  points 
out  the  absurdity  of  this  hypothesis,  and  again  solemnly  denounces 
the  element  in  the  nation  that  opposes  Him  ;  in  contrast  He  speaks 
with  enthusiastic  appreciation  of  those  who  follow  Him  (12:22-50). 
Read  12:22-50.  The  parallel  of  this  in  Mark  3:20  ff.  we  have  already 
studied.  V.  27  shows  that  at  least  the  attempted  exorcism  of  evil 
spirits  was  not  unknown  outside  the  activity  of  Jesus.  Notice  the 
unusual  expression  "Kingdom  of  God"  in  v.  28.  What  peculiarity 
of  Matthew  in  vv.  33-34  ? 

Such  words  as  the  rabbis  had  at  first  spoken  when  they  advanced 
the  Beelzebub  hypothesis  were  significant  because  they  expressed  the 
state  of  the  heart  ;  the  venom  of  the  viperous  hearts  had  overflowed 
at  the  lips  (vv.  34-35).  Even  the  thoughtlessly  critical  and  wicked 
words  that  men  speak  will  come  up  in  the  judgment,  for  such  words 
are  the  expression  of  thoughtless  and  critical  hearts  ;  much  more 
such  words  as  the  rabbis  had  just  spoken  (v.  36).  It  is  words,  regarded 
as  expressions  of  the  heart,  that  reveal  character  (v.  37). 

What  characteristics  of  Matthew  appear  in  vv.  39-45  .''  Unclean 
spirits  are  thought  of  as  dwelling  in  uninhabited  regions  (cf.  Rev. 
18:2).  What  was  there  in  this  generation  that  made  it  like  the  case 
described  in  43-45  ?  That  is,  with  what  previous  period  is  the  present 
condition  compared  }  Possibly  with  the  period  after  the  Babylonian 
captivity,  when  the  nation  seemed  to  be  so  thoroughly  purified  from 
all  tendencies  to  pagan  idolatry.  Certainly  the  rabbinical  religion 
which  grew  up  in  that  period  consisted  largely  of  prohibitions 
rather  than  in  positive  directions,  as  we  have  already  seen  in  the  case 
of  the  Sabbath  law. 

Personal  Thought :  "Out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart  the  mouth 
speaketh"  (v.  34).  The  heart  slowly  fills  up  until  it  overflows 
through  the  lips.  There  is  an  irresistible  tendency  towards  self- 
expression.  The  self  must  express  itself.  A  man  may  yield  himself 
unresistingly  to  impure  thoughts  for  a  long  time  without  expressing 
them,  but  finally  the  heart  will  be  filled  and  in  an  unexpected  moment, 
when  he  had  no  intention  of  doing  such  a  thing,  he  will  speak  the 
impure  word.  The  heart  of  unresisted  hate  may  disguise  itself  for 
a  while,  but  ultimately  the  word  of  hate  will  surely  be  spoken.  There 
is  nothing  hidden  that  shall  not  finally  reveal  itself. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       109 


Study  XIII.— (General  ^urtcp  of  tl)e  life  of  ^esuc  ttp  to  t^t 

last   Wttk,   ^tcCOrlinff  to   ;p:att!)EtD    (Continued) 

Sixth  Day:   Jesus    in    Galilee   as    Prophet-Healer    (concluded). 

13:1-15:20 

1.  The  sixth  subdivision  of  the  first  main  division  (4:12-15:20) 
is  13:1-52:  Jesus  abruptly  changes  His  method  of  public  teaching 
for  a  time  (v.  lo)  tn  view  of  the  bitter  opposition  of  the  rabbis  (vv.  13-15), 
and  begins  to  present  certain  "secrets"  connected  with  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven  in  a  series  of  illustrated  stories,  of  which  several  specimens 
are  given.  This  subdivision  has  been  already  studied.  It  is  only 
necessary  to  glance  over  it  looking  for  characteristics  of  Matthew. 
Are  there  such  in  vv.  16-17,  34-35,  40-42,  49-50,  52  ? 

2.  The  seventh  subdivision  of  the  first  main  division  is  13:53-15:20: 
Jesus  seems  to  be  trying  to  avoid  publicity  (14:  13,  22),  perhaps  tn 
view  of  the  bitter  opposition  of  the  rabbis,  and  in  view  of  the  sinister 
interest  which  Herod,  the  murderer  of  John  the  Baptist,  begins  to  take 
in  Him  (14:1-2);  but  a  delegation  of  rabbis  from  Jerusalem  attacks 
Him  and  draws  from  Him  a  bold  denunciation  of  their  sacred  tradition 
(15:1-20).  The  parallels  to  almost  everything  here  have  already 
been  studied  in  Mark.  Does  it  strike  you  as  strange  that  the  inci- 
dent, 14:28-31,  should  have  been  omitted  from  Mark,  which  is  Peter's 
Gospel  ?  The  omission  in  Matt.  15:2-3  of  anything  parallel  to  Mark 
7:2-4  is  very  significant  of  Matthew's  standpoint  and  readers.  Is 
there  anything  characteristic  of  Matthew  in  15:12-14? 

Personal  Thought:  "Let  them  alone"  (Matt.  15:14).  The  dis- 
ciples were  nervous  over  the  opposition  of  the  rabbis  to  the  great 
truth  Jesus  had  just  expressed  and  felt  that  Jesus  ought  to  do  some- 
thing about  it  (vv.  11-12);  but  Jesus  was  calm,  and  the  ground  of  His 
calmness  was  His  certainty  that  all  opposition  to  the  truth  must  in 
the  end  miserably  defeat  itself  (v.  14).  If  one  is  only  confident  that 
he  is  right,  he  has  no  need  to  attack  the  personnel  of  the  opposition. 
He  has  only  with  sincerity,  courage,  and  unfailing  good-will  to  voice 
his  convictions  and  go  tranquilly  on  his  way.  Those  convictions,  in 
so  far  as  they  are  true,  will  surely  prevail. 


no       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XIII.— (General  ^ortorp  of  t^e  Life  of  "^stina  up  to  t^t 
Laist  Wtti.,  Slccortiincr  to  iHattljeto  {Concluded) 

Seventh  Day:    Jesus   Outside    Galilee   Instructing   the    Twelve. 
Matt.  15:  21-20:  34 

1.  The  second  main  division  of  the  Gospel  is  15:21-20:34.  Its 
subject-matter  has  already  been  studied  in  Mark.  Read  the  follow- 
ing characterization  of  it,  noting  the  parenthetical  references:     After 

THIS  DECISIVE  BREAK  WITH  THE  RABBIS,   JeSUS  REMAINS  IN  GENERAL 

OUTSIDE  OF  Galilee,  making  several  long  excursions  away 
FROM  THE  Galilean  centers  of  opposition  (15:21;  16:13;  19:1); 
He  devotes  Himself  largely  to  the  instruction  of  the  dis- 
ciples; AT  A  critical  PERIOD  (l6:6)  IN  THE  HISTORY  OF  THEIR  CON- 
NECTION WITH  Him  THEY  CONFESS  CONFIDENCE  IN  HiS  MessIAH- 
SHIP  AND  He  startles  them  by  REPEATED  PREDICTIONS  OF  HIS 
DEATH;  He  seems  CHIEFLY  CONCERNED  TO  DEVELOP  IN  THEM  A 
SPIRIT  OF  BROTHER  LOVE  AND  SYMPATHETIC  SERVICE  (chap.  l8,  20:20- 

28).  What  characteristics  of  Matthew  appear  in  16:19  (cf.  Mark 
8:29,  30);  17:24-27;  18:16,  17,  18,  32-35? 

2.  We  are  not  to  study  the  rest  of  Matthew's  Gospel  until  we  take  up 
the  Last  Week  of  Jesus'  life,  using  all  three  of  the  Synoptic  Gospels. 
However,  it  is  appropriate  here,  while  we  are  thinking  of  the  peculiari- 
ties of  Matthew's  Gospel,  to  glance  at  such  as  are  found  in  the  last 
chapters  of  Matthew.  Look  at  the  following:  Matt.  21:4,  28-32, 
43-45;  22:1-14;  23:3,  4-12,  13-36  (especially  35);  26:56;  27:3-5,  9-10, 
19,  24-25;  28:11-15,  19. 

Personal  Thought :  "Teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  whatso- 
ever I  commanded  you"  (28:20).  The  church  of  Jesus  Christ  is 
engaged  in  a  great  humane  effort  to  share  with  the  world  all  that  it 
has  received  from  Jesus  Christ.  In  this  effort  to  share  it  simply 
imitates  its  Lord  who  said:  "All  things  that  I  heard  from  my  Father 
I  have  made  known  unto  you"  (John  15:15). 

**  Needs  must  there  be  one  way,  our  chief 
Best  way  of  worship  :  let  me  strive 
To  find  it,  and  when  found,  contrive 
My  fellows  also  take  their  share  ! 
This  constitutes  my  earthly  care : 
God'«  is  above  it  and  distinct. 
For  I,  a  man,  with  men  am  Imked 
And  not  a  brute  with  brutes  ;  no  gain 
That  I  experience,  must  remain 
Unshared." 

Browning,  C/iristmas  E-ve. 


PART    I 

STUDIES    IN   THE    LIFE    OF   JESUS    CHRIST   AS 
PRESENTED    IN   THE   SYNOPTIC    GOSPELS 


3.  General  Survey  of  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ  up 
to  the  Last  Week,  According  to  Luke.  Studies  xiv- 
xvii. 


Introductory  Note  on   Luke  and   His 

Gospel 


The  early  tradition  of  the  church  represents  a  man  named  Luke 
to  have  been  the  author  of  the  third  Gospel  and  of  the  Book  of  Acts. 
In  the  PauHne  correspondence  a  man  named  Luke  is  several  times 
mentioned  among  Paul's  friends.  He  was  Paul's  companion  in  the 
Roman  prison  (Col.  4:14;  Philem.  24;  II  Tim.  4:11).  In  Col. 
4:11-14  Paul  calls  him  the  "beloved  physician"  and  speaks  of  him 
as  though  he  were  not  "of  the  circumcision,"  that  is,  not  a  Jew.  Cer- 
tain sections  of  the  Book  of  Acts  present  the  narrative  in  the  first  per- 
son plural  (the  so-called  "we  sections").  If  this  use  of  the  pronoun 
indicates  that  Luke  was  with  Paul  during  the  periods  covered  by 
these  sections,  then  Luke  joined  Paul  just  before  Paul  left  Asia  Minor 
for  Macedonia  (Acts  16:10),  accompanied  him  to  Philippi  (16:17), 
but  no  further  (17:1).  Several  years  later  he  joined  Paul  at  Philippi 
as  Paul  was  returning  to  Jerusalem  (20:6),  went  with  Paul  to  Jeru- 
salem (21:17),  and  was  probably  with  him  during  his  two  years  of 
prison  life  in  Caesarea,  for  he  accompanied  him  to  Rome  (27 :  i ;  28 : 1 6). 
According  to  one  manuscript.  Acts  1 1 :28  reads:  "As  we  were  gath- 
ered together  one  of  them,  Agabus  by  name,  etc,"  which  would  indi- 
cate that  Luke  was  a  member  of  the  church  in  Antioch. 

The  personality  of  Luke  appears  more  distinctly  in  his  Gospel 
than  does  the  personality  of  the  other  Gospel  authors  in  their  respec- 
tive Gospels.  His  Gospel  has  an  "author's  preface"  (Luke  1:1-4), 
and  very  decided  evidences  of  his  personal  taste  appear  in  his  selec- 
tion of  material  and  in  his  literary  presentation  of  it.  We  may  think 
of  him  as  a  physician  of  literary  tastes,  a  gentleman  of  exceedingly 
amiable  disposition,  a  man  trained  to  the  broad  Pauline  view  of 
Christianity  and  possessed  by  a  certain  Greek  love  of  the  joyous  and 
beautiful  that  has  thrown  a  golden  atmosphere  about  his  "Gospel 
Beautiful." 

He  states  in  the  preface  that  he  had  not  known  Jesus  personally. 
He  wrote  at  a  time  when  Christian  preachers,  or  catechetical  teach- 
ers were  drawing  up  narratives  of  the  Lord's  life  and  teaching,  prob- 
ably many  of  them  oral,  but  some  of  them  written  sketches.  Luke's 
Gospel  contains  a  considerable  amount  of  material  not  found  in  any 
other  Gospel,  some  of  it  exceedingly  important,  e.  g.,  chapter  15,  24: 13- 

113 


114       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


35,  etc.  How  it  came  to  pass  that  he  alone  has  this  material,  and 
where  he  found  it,  are  questions  that  arise  in  connection  with  the 
"Synoptic  Problem."  He  seems  to  have  made  original  investiga- 
tion (i :  3),  and  to  have  had  acquaintance  with  the  family  of  Jesus, 
perhaps  even  with  Jesus'  mother  herself  (cf.  2:19,  51).  If  he  was 
with  Paul  during  the  two  years  of  Caesarean  imprisonment  (Acts  23:33; 
24:27),  he  would  have  had  ample  opportunity  to  make  research  in 
Galilee  and  Jerusalem. 

The  determination  of  the  date  of  the  Gospel  is  connected  with  the 
discussion  of  the  last  sentence  in  the  Book  of  Acts.  Did  the  author 
of  Acts  end  his  narrative  with  the  mention  of  the  Roman  imprison- 
ment, 60-62  A.D.,  because  he  wrote  his  book  at  that  time .?  If  so,  the 
Gospel  of  Luke  must  have  been  written  still  earlier  (Acts  1:1).  The 
more  widely  accepted  opinion  is  that  both  Gospel  and  Acts  were  writ- 
ten after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  in  70  a.d.  It  was  pretty  cer- 
tainly written  for  Gentile  readers,  and  therefore  for  the  Pauline 
churches. 

The  Gospel  is  dedicated  to  a  man  named  Theophilus,  with  the 
purpose  of  putting  into  permanent  and  reliable  form  the  informa- 
tion which  he  had  received  when  being  prepared  by  the  catechists 
for  church  membership  (1:1-4).  The  fact  that  the  title  "most  ex- 
cellent" is  applied  also  to  distinguished  Roman  officials  (Acts  23:26; 
24:3;  26:25)  leads  to  the  surmise  that  Theophilus  was  a  gentleman 
of  some  social,  if  not  official,  dignity.  Luke  seems  to  take  pains  in 
the  Book  of  Acts  to  bring  Roman  officials  into  favorable  prominence, 
and  possibly  this  indicates  that  Theophilus  was  one  of  them.  In 
Acts  I :  I  the  title  is  dropped,  which  fact  Dr.  Zahn  considers  to  be 
evidence  that  Theophilus  had  at  the  time  the  second  volume  was 
written  become  a  full  member  of  the  Christian  brotherhood,  in  which 
social  and  official  titles  would  no  longer  be  recognized. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       115 


Study  XIV.— etjcntfi  preceding;  t))t  pufalic  Life  of  ^eguB 
First  Day:  General  Survey  of  Luke's  Gospel 

1.  Read  the  Introductory  Note  on  Luke  and  his  Gospel. 

2.  A  general  outline  of  the  Gospel  in  comparison  with  Mark  and 
Matthew  appears  in  the  following  scheme: 

Mark  and  Matthew 

Introduction. — Events    Preceding   the    Public    Life   of  Jesus. 
Mark  1:1-13  (Matt.  1:1-4:11). 
L  Jesus  in  Galilee  as  Prophet-Healer.     Mark  i :  14-7:  23,  (Matt. 
4:12-15:20). 
II.  Jesus  Outside  Galilee  Instructing  the  Twelve.     Mark  7:24-10: 
52  (Matt.  15:21-20:34). 

III.  The  Last  Week  in  Jerusalem.     Mark  11-15,  (Matt.  20-27). 

IV.  The  Resurrection.     Mark  16  (Matt.  28). 

Luke  * 

Introduction. — Events    Preceding   the   Public   Life   of  Jesus. 
1:1-4:13. 
I.  Jesus'  Gracious  Work   Before  the  Journey  to  Jerusalem.   4. 

14-9:50. 
II.  The  Long  Eventful  Journey  to  Jerusalem,  9:51-19:28. 

III.  The  Last  Week  in  Jerusalem,  19:29-23:56. 

IV.  The  Resurrection,  24. 

The  distinction  between  the  period  of  activity  in  Galilee  and  the 
period  outside  of  Galilee  before  the  final  journey  to  Jerusalem  began, 
which  is  so  carefully  made  by  Mark,  and  clearly,  though  less  care- 
fully, by  Matthew,  disappears  entirely  in  Luke.  Between  9:17  and 
9:18  Luke  very  strangely  omits  anything  parallel  to  the  entire  sec- 
tion Mark  6:45-8:26,  (Matt.  14:22-16:12),  which  contains  an  ac- 
count of  the  excursion  into  the  north  country  about  Tyre  and  Sidon 
(Mark  7:24,  Matt.  15:21).  That  is,  Luke  9:i7  =  Mark  6:45  and 
Luke  9:i8  =  Mark  8:26.  Moreover,  the  scene  of  Peter's  famous 
confession  of  Jesus'  Messiahship,  which  Mark  and  Matthew  carefully 
place  far  to  the  northeast  of  Galilee  in  the  region  of  Caesarea-Philippi 
(Mark  8:27,  Matt.  16:13),  Luke  does  not  describe  geographically 


ii6       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


at  all.  Read  Luke  9:17-18.  In  Luke's  Gospel  there  is  simply  a 
period  of  activity  before  the  journey  to  Jerusalem  (4:14-9:50)  and 
the  journey  to  Jerusalem  (9:51-19:28).  Some  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful things  in  all  the  Gospels  are  found  in  this  last  division.  Some- 
one has  called  this  journey  to  Jerusalem  the  string  on  which  Luke's 
pearls  of  narrative  are  strung.  See  where  the  string  shows  through 
at  9:51,  57;  10:1,  38;  13:22;  17:11;  18:31,  35;  19:1,  II,  28. 

Personal  Thought :  In  this  Gospel  less  emphasis  is  laid  on  the 
places  where  Jesus  did  this  or  said  that.  His  own  person,  deeds, 
and  words  shine  out  with  a  power  and  beauty  above  all  details  of 
time  and  place.  In  your  study  let  the  picture  of  the  eternal  Christ 
stand  out  more  conspicuously  than  this  necessary  framework  of  geo- 
graphical and  historical  detail. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       117 


Study  XIV.— ©bcntfi  preccJinff  tl)e  public  life  o£  ^zanti 

Second  Day:  Characteristic  Pecviliarities  of  LtUie's  Gospel 

Certain  interesting  peculiarities  of  Luke's  Gospel  will  be  noticed 
repeatedly  in  the  brief  study  of  Luke  that  is  to  follow.  Take  pains 
to  look  up  the  few  instances  of  each  cited  below. 

1.  Luke  has  the  feeling  of  the  historian,  recognizing  the  connection 
of  his  narrative  with  general  history:  2:2,  3:1-2  (cf.  Matt.  3:1). 

2.  Yet  Luke's  detailed  chronological  and  geographical  references 
are  very  indefinite:  5:12,  17;  6:6;  8:22;  20:1. 

3.  He  is  broad  and  non-Jewish  in  his  outlook,  recognizing  appre- 
ciatively the  Gentiles  and  Gentile  interests,  yet  without  Matthew's 
stern  condemnation  of  the  Jews.  Compare  again  Luke  3:38  and 
Matt.  1:2.  Luke  also  makes  comparatively  few  references  to  the 
fulfilment  of  Jewish  prophecy.  For  other  illustrations  of  his  non- 
Jewish  temperament  see  2:32;  4:  26-27;   10:33;  ij-  i^- 

4.  Women  are  given  a  peculiar  prominence.  The  infancy  nar- 
rative is  written  wholly  from  Mary's  standpoint,  Luke  1:26-56; 
(from  Joseph's  standpoint.  Matt.  1:19-25).  See  also  2:36;  8:1-3; 
10:38;  23:28. 

5.  Kindly  allusions  to  the  poor  and  outcast,  or  those  in  humble 
station,  2:8;  14:13,  2i;  16:20-31;  18:9-14;  23:39-43.  Especially 
contrast  Luke  6:20-21  with  Matt.  5:3,  6. 

6.  In  close  connection  is  Luke's  emphasis  of  the  compassionate 
graciousness  of  Jesus  and  of  God,  e.  g.,  the  parables  of  chap.  15. 

7.  In  narratives  of  healing,  emphasis  upon  details  calculated  to 
awaken  sympathy  and  which  therefore  show  Jesus'  sympathetic 
response.  Notice  the  peculiar  words  "only"  and  "dear,"  8:42; 
9:38  (see  also  the  last  clause  of  V.  42);  7:2.     Notice  particularly  7:12. 

8.  Occasional  indications  that  the  author  is  a  medical  man,  pos- 
sibly 4:35  (cf.  Mark  1:26);  4:38  (Mark  1:30);  5:12  (Mark  1:40).? 

9.  Special  mention  of  Jesus'  prayers,  e.  g.,  3:21;  5:16;  6:12;  9:28, 
and  of  prayer  in  general,  11:5-13;  18:1-8. 

Personal  Thought :  In  the  long  process  of  gathering  material  for 
his  Gospel,  Luke's  own  spirit  had  evidently  become  beautifully  sen- 
sitive to  the  appeal  made  by  the  needy  side  of  life.  The  great  effect 
of  your  study  of  the  Gospels  ought  to  be  to  develop  sympathy  with 
those  who  have  fallen  away  from  social  and  religious  centers. 


ii8       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XIV.— Ctcnts  |)rcceUinjr  tl)c  Public  Life  of  ^Fcgas 

Third  Day:    Characteristic  Peculiarities  of  Luke's  Gospel  (con- 
cluded) 

10.  Frequent  references  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  e.  g.,  1.15,  41,  67;  4: 
14;  10:21  (cf.  Matt.  11:25).     So  also- in  the  Book  of  Acts. 

11.  Reverential  treatment  of  the  apostles.  Professor  Bruce  has 
noted  the  significant  omission  of  certain  incidents  in  which  the  apos- 
tles appear  in  an  unfavorable  light.  Compare  Luke  9  22-23  ^^^^ 
Mark  8:31-33.  Luke  has  nothing  corresponding  to  Mark  8:14-21, 
Mark  10:35,  Mark  14:50.  Luke  seems  to  apologize  for  the  apostles 
in  Luke  9:45  (cf.  Mark  9:32),  and  Luke  22:45  (cf.  Mark  14:37). 

12.  Jesus  is  often  called  in  narrative  "the  Lord,"  Luke  7:  19  (cf. 
Matt.     11:2),  and  is  "glorified"  as  in  the  Pauline  letters,  13:  17. 

13.  Similarity  to  Pauline  thought.  If  Luke  was  the  companion 
of  Paul  it  is  natural  to  suppose  that  traces  of  Paul's  influence  would 
be  evident  in  Luke's  Gospel.  The  language  of  Luke  22:19-20  is 
different  from  that  of  Matt.  26:26-28  and  Mark  14:22-24,  but  is 
like  I  Cor.  11:24-25.  Luke  alone  records  a  special  appearance  of 
Jesus  to  Peter  after  the  resurrection  (24:34),  which  is  also  men- 
tioned in  I  Cor.  15:5.  The  outline  of  the  world  program  in  Luke 
21:24  is  Hke  Rom.  11,  especially  11:25.  Adam  and  Christ  at  the 
two  ends  of  the  genealogy  in  Luke  3  suggest  the  Pauline  comparison 
of  Adam  and  Christ  in  Rom.  5:12-21  and  I  Cor.  15:22,  45.  The 
entire  spirit  of  the  Gospel  is  that  of  I  Cor.  13. 

14.  An  atmosphere  of  gladness  and  buoyancy  which  make  it  the 
"Gospel  Beautiful."  (This,  too,  reminds  one  of  Paul's  singing 
heart,  Phil.  4:4-7.) 

15.  Certain  peculiarities  of  literary  style  like  the  indefinite  pro- 
noun, translated  into  English  by  the  word  "certain,"  a  "certain  man," 
10:25-38. 

Personal  Thought :  Angels  sing  in  the  pages  of  this  "Gospel  Beau- 
tiful"; childless  parents  break  out  into  devoutly  jubilant  hymns; 
humble  folk  of  low  degree  find  themselves  exalted  by  God;  penitent 
outcasts  come  weeping  and  go  with  the  peace  of  forgiveness  filling 
their  hearts.  Chief  among  them  all  walks  "the  Lord"  in  a  golden 
light  "throughout  every  city  and  village  preaching  and  showing  glad 
tidings  of  the  Kingdom  of  God"  (8:1).  Yield  yourself  to  the  won- 
derful spell  of  this  Gospel  in  your  daily  study. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       119 


Study  XIV.— ©^ents  preceUinff  t^t  |Jufaltc  life  of  Sftctis 
Fourth  Day  :  Two  Sons  Promised.     Luke  i :  5-56 

We  are  to  take  a  rapid  survey  of  the  events  preceding  the  public 
life  of  Jesus  as  Luke  records  them.  An  angel  promises  the  childless 
priest  Zacharias,  and  his  wife  well  on  in  years,  a  son  who  shall  reform 
the  nation;  also  to  their  young,  unmarried  kinswoman,  Mary  of  Naz- 
areth, an  angel  promises  the  supernatural  conception  of  a  son  who  shall 
revive  the  Davidic  dynasty  and  establish  the  Messianic  Kingdom  (l  :5- 
56).  This  paragraph  has  already  been  studied  with  reference  to 
the  light  thrown  by  it  upon  the  character  of  John  the  Baptist.  Read 
it  now,  watching  for  any  of  the  characteristic  peculiarities  of  Luke 
mentioned  in  the  studies  of  the  last  two  days,  especially  those  num- 
bered I,  4,  5,  10,  14.  Try  to  realize  the  feeling  of  the  old  priest. 
There  were  many  more  priests  than  could  be  employed  in  the 
temple  services.  Consequently  they  were  divided  into  "courses" 
(cf.  I  Chron.  24),  and  from  these  selections  were  made.  This  plain 
old  country  priest  had  the  great  good  fortune  in  his  old  age  to  be 
summoned  to  Jerusalem  and  even  to  get  a  chance  to  burn  the  morn- 
ing incense.  What  hint  of  his  temperament  do  vv.  18-20  contain.^ 
Are  there  any  other  hints  in  the  paragraph  as  to  his  character  ? 

Is  it  probable  that  Mary  composed  the  hymn  in  vv.  45-55  °"  ^he 
spot  in  reply  to  Elizabeth  and  preserved  it  so  that  it  ultimately  reached 
Luke .''  Or  did  she  compose  it  at  her  leisure  as  an  expression  of  her 
feeling  during  all  this  period  .''  Or  was  it  a  hymn  composed  by  some 
Christian  poet  later  as  a  fit  expression  of  what  Mary's  feeling  at  this 
time  must  have  been  .?  These,  of  course,  are  minor  questions.  What 
is  the  dominant  thought  of  the  hymn  ? 

Personal  Thought :  "Thou  shalt  have  joy  and  gladness  for  he  shall 
be  great  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord."  The  old  priestly  patriot  was  to 
contribute  a  son  to  Jehovah's  people.  In  the  use  that  God  would 
make  of  him,  even  though  his  life  was  to  end  in  tragedy,  the  father 
was  to  find  his  own  joy  and  gladness.  In  the  commercialism  of  our 
age  it  is  not  always  the  ambition  even  of  Christian  parents  to  see 
their  children  used  by  God  in  His  Kingdom.  The  college  student's 
great  decision  to  be  a  missionary  or  a  minister  is  not  always  welcomed 
at  home  with  the  same  enthusiasm  that  would  be  felt  over  an  ap- 
pointment to  an  important  business  position  with  a  large  salary. 
The  commercial  standard  can  surely  be  displaced  by  lives  that  per- 
sistently adopt  the  high,  true  standard  of  value  that  the  gospel  teaches. 


I20       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XIV.— etocntfi  PrcccUinff  t)}t  public  Life  of  3fc8u« 
Fifth  Day:   The  Two  Births.     Luke  1:57-2:20 

1.  The  old  priest's  son  John  is  born  and  grows  up  into  young  man- 
hood in  the  wilderness  (1:57-80).  Read  the  paragraph,  especially 
watching  for  any  characteristic  peculiarities  of  the  Gospel.  The 
old  priest's  hymn  divides  into  five  strophes:  68-69,  7'^-7^y  73~75y 
7^-77,  78-79.     What  is  the  dominant  thought  of  the  hymn  .'' 

2.  Mary's  son  is  horn  in  Bethlehem  under  the  protection  of  Joseph, 
the  man  to  whom  she  was  betrothed,  and  on  the  htrth-ntght  angels  an- 
nounce to  shepherds  watching  their  flocks  tn  the  neighboring  country 
that  the  Messiah  is  horn  in  Bethlehem  (2:  I-20).  Read  2:  1-20,  watch- 
ing for  characteristic  peculiarities,  especially  those  numbered  I,  5,  14. 
The  Roman  government  was  taking  a  census  for  purposes  of  taxation, 
and  it  was  at  the  office  opened  in  Bethlehem  that  Joseph  had  to  report. 
Perhaps  his  wife  had  also  to  report,  or  it  may  be  that  the  parents  were 
desirous  to  have  the  child  born  in  the  old  ancestral  village.  Read 
once  more  vv.  8-14,  compelling  your  imagination  to  produce  the  pic- 
ture for  you  verse  by  verse.  Edersheim  suggests  that  shepherds  were 
"under  the  ban  of  rabbinism  on  account  of  their  necessary  isolation 
from  religious  ordinances  and  their  manner  of  life,  which  rendered 
strict  religious  observance  entirely  unlikely,  if  not  impossible."  He 
thinks  that  these  were  not  ordinary  shepherds,  but  shepherds  in  charge 
of  the  temple  flocks.  In  what  particulars  did  the  experience  of  this 
night  affect  the  shepherds'  subsequent  outlook  upon  life .''  The 
"highest"  (v.  14)  means  the  highest  heavens  contrasted  with  the 
earth.  What  does  "Glory  to  God"  mean?  Notice  the  ideal  of 
civihzation  expressed  in  the  second  line  of  v.  14.  It  was  only  a  few 
persons  who  heard  the  shepherds'  message  (v.  18),  and  most  of  those 
were  probably  dead  when,  thirty  years  later,  Jesus  began  His  public 
life.  Any  of  them  who  were  still  living  might  not  have  thought  of 
identifying  the  Nazareth  carpenter  with  the  Bethlehem  babe.  Luke's 
source  of  information  is  evidently  indicated  in  v.  19. 

Personal  Thought:  "To  guide  our  feet  into  the  way  of  peace" 
(1:79).  The  ideal  of  the  Christian  life  is  peace.  The  dusty  road 
of  daily  life  is  to  be  a  way  of  peace.  Are  your  feet  being  guided  into 
this  roadway  of  peace }  Or  does  the  present  fret  you  and  the  future 
make  you  apprehensive .''  On  the  starlit  plains  of  your  own  heart, 
if  you  could  only  hear  them,  are  voices  singing  the  old  Bethlehem 
song,  "  Be  not  afraid,  for  behold  I  bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  joy." 


Studies  In  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       121 


Study  XIV— ©Dentg  fJreceHinff  tbe  public  life  of  ST^BitiB 
Sixth  Day:   The  Two  Temple  Scenes.     Luke  2:21-52 

1.  When  the  child  Jesus  is  brought  into  the  temple  a  devout  citizen 
of  "Jerusalem  and  a  very  aged  prophetess  recognize  Htm  as  the  future 
Messiah  (2:21-38).  Read  2:21-38  looking  for  characteristics  of 
Luke,  especially  in  vv.  26,  27,  32,  36-38.  About  six  weeks  after  Jesus' 
birth  (Lev.  12:2-4)  the  parents  went  from  Bethlehem  to  Jerusalem, 
which  was  close  by,  and  made  the  temple  offering  prescribed  by  law 
for  families  in  moderate  circumstances  (Lev.  12:8).  There,  perhaps 
in  some  one  of  the  colonnades,  they  were  met  by  a  very  devout,  hope- 
ful man  whose  peculiarity  had  been  the  conviction  that  he  should 
live  to  see  the  Messiah.  Does  v.  29  indicate  old  age  ?  V.  34  is  an 
oracular  utterance:  the  rabbis  will  "fall"  under  His  condemnation 
and  many  humble  people  will  "rise  up"  under  His  touch;  the  young 
mother,  now  so  proud,  will  many  years  later  stand  by  her  son's  cross; 
He  will  look  into  the  hearts  of  men  with  the  penetration  of  a  Mes- 
sianic judge. 

2.  Jesus  grows  up  a  promising  boy ;  when  He  visits  Jerusalem  at 
the  age  of  twelve  He  has  an  experience  in  the  temple  which  greatly  im- 
presses His  mother  (2:39-52).  Read  2:39-52.  2:39  is  character- 
isrically  different  from  Matt.  2:23.  The  statement  in  2:39  is  very 
general  and  is  not  necessarily  inconsistent  with  Matt.  2: 13-23.  It 
would  seem  that  residence  in  a  foreign  country  would  have  been 
something  that  Luke  would  have  liked  to  mention  had  he  known  it. 
This  first  visit  to  the  temple  was  a  great  and  fondly  anticipated  event  in 
any  boy's  life.  He  came  at  the  age  of  twelve  under  the  law.  The 
experience  evidently  aroused  powerful  emotions  in  the  heart  of  Jesus. 
Jesus'  conduct  seemed  to  His  parents  like  surprising  insubordination 
(v.  48).  V.  51  says  that  nothing  like  it  was  ever  repeated.  Jesus  told 
them  that  they  should  have  known  where  to  find  Him  (v.  49  R.  V.). 
Their  conception  of  Messiahship  was  evidently  different  from  that  de- 
veloping in  Jesus  (v.  50).  Luke  emphasizes  the  development  of  Jesus 
(vv.  40,  52).  What,  if  anything,  does  this  incident  reveal  regarding 
the  personal  religious  life  of  the  "  boy  Jesus"  (2:43  R.V.)  1 

Personal  Thought:  "He  was  subject  unto  them"  (v.  51).  There 
is  no  better  evidence  of  greatness  than  the  ability  to  hold  one's  self 
steadily  subject  to  legitimate  control,  whether  that  control  be  exer- 
cised by  a  person  or  by  a  great  idea. 


122       Studies  In  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XIV.— Cbcntfi  prcccUing:  tl)c  public  Life  of  ^eeas 

Seventh   Day:  John  and  Jesus  Emerge  from  Private  Life. 
Luke  3: 1-4:13 

1.  The  old  priest's  son  John  comes  out  from  the  wilderness,  summons 
the  nation  to  reform  and  to  make  public  confession  of  penitence  by  being 
baptized  (3:1-20).  This  paragraph  has  been  previously  studied. 
Read  it  again,  noting  the  Lukan  characteristics  in  vv.  1-3.  In  w. 
5-6  Luke  quotes  more  of  Isaiah  than  do  Mark  and  Matthew.  What 
statements  in  these  additional  verses  made  them  specially  attractive 
to  Luke?  Luke  speaks  of  "multitudes"  in  v.  7  where  Matthew 
(3:7),  with  his  strong  Jewish  interest,  mentions  "Pharisees  and  Sad- 
ducees."  In  vv.  10-14  Luke  gives  a  fuller  account  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist's preaching  than  does  Matthew.  In  the  selection  of  this  additional 
material  what  characteristics  of  Luke  appear  ?  Luke  characteris- 
tically mentions  in  v.  18  (R.  V.)  another  side  of  John's  preaching. 

2.  Jesus,  at  the  age  of  about  thirty,  is  baptized  by  John,  and  at  His 
baptism  prays  and  has  an  inaugural  vision  of  the  Holy  Spirit  coming 
down  to  Him  from  heaven  in  dove  form;  His  genealogy  is  traced 
through  David,  Abraham,  and  Adam  to  God  (3:21-38).  This  para- 
graph has  also  been  studied  before.  Read  it  again,  noting  the  char- 
acteristic peculiarity  in  v.  21.  There  is  no  clear  explanation  of  the 
difference  between  this  genealogy  and  that  of  Matthew.  One  of  the 
two  most  common  conjectures  is  that  Matthew  gives  Joseph's  gen- 
ealogy and  Luke,  Mary's.  This  would  be  in  keeping  with  Luke's 
general  emphasis  of  Mary  and  Matthew's  emphasis  of  Joseph  in  the 
narrative.  The  other  conjecture  is  that  Matthew  gives  (after  David) 
a  list  of  those  eligible  to  the  occupancy  of  the  throne,  while  Luke 
gives  the  actual  descent. 

3.  During  a  period  of  seclusion  in  the  wilderness,  Jesus  successfully 
resists  a  threefold  temptation  (4:1-13).  Read  4:1-13,  noting  the 
characteristic  expression  in  v.  I  (cf.  Mark  1:12;  Matt.  4:1).  In 
v.  9  where  Luke  has  Jerusalem,  Matthew  (4:5)  from  the  Jewish 
standpoint  says  "the  holy  city."  In  v.  13  Luke  implies  that  Jesus 
had  further  temptations  later,  and  this  agrees  vdth  Luke  22:  28. 

Personal  Thought :  "Let  him  impart  to  him  that  hath  none"  (3:  il). 
Does  the  sight  of  a  person  who  has  none  of  that  which  you  find  useful 
disturb  you  ?  You  may  not  see  any  practicable  way  to  share  with 
him,  but  do  you  have  the  inclination  to  share  f 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       123 


Study  XV.—^tnus*  (Bracioufi  9lrtii)itp  before  t|)e  S^ournep  to 

First  Day:  Jesus,  Full  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  Attracts  Crowds 
about  Him  as  a  Great  Prophet-Healer;  but  the  Rabbis  Turn 
Against  Him.     Luke  4:14-6:11 

Jesus'  public  career  begins;  He  teaches  in  all  the  Galilean  syna- 
gogues, especially  in  Nazareth  and  Capernaum,  full  of  the  glad  con- 
sciousness that  the  Spirit  of  God  is  with  Him  (4:17-21),  and  heals 
many  sick;  great  and  appreciative  crowds  gather  about  Him  as  prophet- 
healer  and  He  begins  to  select  disciples;  He  manifests  a  certain  reserve 
in  that  He  will  not  let  the  demoniacs  speak  of  Him  as  the  Christ,  and 
retires  from  the  crowds  into  the  wilderness  to  pray  (4: 1 4-5: 16).  Read 
4:14-15,  which  contains  a  general  preliminary  statement  like  that  in 
Mark  1:14-15.     Notice  the  characteristic  peculiarity  in  v.  14. 

Read  carefully  4:16-30,  which  was  incidentally  considered  in  the 
study  of  Mark  6:1-6,  looking  now  for  characteristic  peculiarities. 
What  two  things  in  vv.  18-19  would  be  attractive  to  Luke?  What 
characteristic  appears  in  vv.  25-27  ?  Luke  did  not  consider  this  inci- 
dent in  Capernaum  to  be  the  beginning  of  Jesus'  activity,  as  is  evident 
from  v.  23.  Perhaps  he  puts  it  at  the  forefront  of  his  narrative  of 
Jesus'  public  life  because  the  synagogue  discourse  in  Nazareth  con- 
tains a  description  of  Jesus'  mission  (vv.  18-21)  that  might  properly 
introduce  the  narrative.  Certainly  no  general  description  of  the  mis- 
sion of  Jesus  could  be  more  congenial  to  Luke's  spirit.  This  quo- 
tation from  Isaiah  was  probably  not  recognized  as  an  announcement 
of  Messiahship  by  the  synagogue  audience.  Show  how  w.  18-19 
aptly  describe  what  Jesus  did  for  men. 

As  was  suggested  in  the  study  of  Mark  6:1-6,  this  Sabbath  may 
have  closed  a  week  in  Nazareth  during  which  Jesus  had  done  no  mighty 
works  (v.  23,  cf.  Mark  6:5).  It  angered  the  villagers  to  hear  Jesus 
say  that  God  cared  as  much  for  the  Gentile  as  for  the  Jew  and  to  ap- 
ply this  outrageous  statement  to  them.  That  such  a  statement  would 
enrage  a  Jew  is  evident  from  Acts  22:21-22.  It  is  like  Luke  to  em- 
phasize the  majesty  of  Jesus  by  such  a  statement  as  v.  30. 

Personal  Thought :  To  bring  good  news  to  poor  people;  to  free  for 
activity  those  who  have  been  tied  up;  to  make  men  see  what  they  have 
not  before  realized;  to  give  relief  and  opportunity  to  lives  that  are 
scarred  and  broken  in  spirit;  to  announce  a  great,  new,  God-given 
chance  to  everyone  (w.  18-19), — ^this  is  Jesus*  ambition. 


124       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XV.— ^ tens'  (Bxations  31rtititp  before  tl)t  STouniep  to 

Second  Day:  Jesus,  Full  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  Attracts  Crowds 
about  Him  as  a  Great  Prophet-Healer;  but  the  Rabbis  Turn 
Against  Him  (concluded).     Luke  4:14-6:11 

1.  Glance  rapidly  through  Luke  4:31-44,  a  parallel  to  which  we 
have  already  studied.  V.  40  adds  a  detail  as  to  method  that  might 
interest  a  physician.  The  last  clause  of  v.  43  is  peculiar  (cf.  Mark 
1 :38)  and  's  a  Pauline  way  of  stating  a  great  fact  (cf.  Rom.  8:3;  Gal. 
4:4).  Read  5:1-11  and  compare  with  Mark  1:16-20  (Matt.  4:18- 
22).  Can  these  be  descriptions  of  the  same  event  ^  Perhaps  what 
Luke  describes  occurred  a  few  days  later  than  what  is  described  in 
Mark.  Such  an  experience  as  that  described  in  Mark  probably  had 
not  involved  permanent  abandonment  of  business.  What  caused 
Peter  to  feel  as  he  did  (v.  8)  ? 

2.  Glance  over  5:12-16,  noting  the  Lukan  characteristic  in  v.  16 
(cf.  Mark  1:45).  The  verb  in  Greek  may  denote  that  Jesus  fre- 
quently did  so.  Can  you  conjecture  what  may  have  been  the  subjects 
of  His  prayer  at  this  period  ? 

3.  The  Pharisees  and  the  rahbis  criticise  Jesus'  conduct  as  irreligious 
and  finally  become  very  bitter  against  Him  (5:17-6:11).  Glance  over 
these  paragraphs,  which  are  closely  parallel  to  the  four  paragraphs  in 
Mark  2:1-3:6  in  which  the  development  of  the  rabbinical  opposition 
to  Jesus  is  traced.  The  chief  points  of  difference  not  previously  noted 
are  the  phrase  "glorifying  God"  (5:25);  the  mention  of  the  prayer- 
fulness  of  John's  disciples  (5:33);  the  slightly  different  putting  of  the 
parable  in  5:36;  the  addition  of  the  parable  in  5:39;  and  the  medical 
exactness  that  specifies  "right"  (6:6).  The  parable  in  5:39  seems 
to  be  an  apology  for  those  who  prefer  the  old  ceremonies  to  the  new 
truth.  The  fact  that  John  the  Baptist  and  his  disciples  agreed  with 
the  rabbis  at  this  point  (v.  33)  would  naturally  incline  Luke  to  apolo- 
gize for  their  attitude. 

Personal  Thought :  To  grow  old  holding  fast  whatever  has  proved 
itself  to  be  good,  and  at  the  same  time  to  give  the  new  a  fair  chance  to 
prove  itself  also  good,  is  the  truth-seeker's  ideal. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       125 


Study  XW.—^t6tta'  (Bvuionti  ^Ictitttp  ^Seforc  t()e  ^ovLxntj^  to 

Third  Day:  Jesus  Appoints  Twelve  Apostles.     Luke  6:12-49 

In  spite  of  this  opposition,  after  a  night  of  prayer  on  the  hilltop, 
Jesus  takes  the  bold  step  of  appointing  twelve  of  His  disciples  to  be 
"apostles" ;  then  in  the  midst  of  great  crowds  from  distant  regions, 
and  in  the  rich  plenitude  of  His  healing  power  (vv.  17-19)  He  delivers 
an  inaugural  address  to  His  disciples  (6:12-49).  Read  vv.  12-19. 
Note  the  Lukan  peculiarity  in  v.  I2  (cf.  Mark  3:13);  also  the  addi- 
tional detail  regarding  topography  in  v.  17.  Do  you  see  any  more 
clearly  than  when  studying  Mark  why  Jesus  needed  this  night  of  prayer  ? 
The  Twelve  were  evidently  chosen  from  a  considerable  company  of 
persons  who  had  become  somewhat  closely  identified  with  Jesus. 
This  company  met  Him  in  a  solemn,  brief  interview  in  the  seclusion 
of  the  hilltop,  and  to  them  Jesus  first  announced  the  names  of  those 
He  had  selected.  Then,  with  these  twelve  appointees,  He  came 
down  to  some  "level  place"  and  delivered  an  address  to  a  more  pro- 
miscuous company.  Luke's  report  of  Jesus'  address  is  much  shorter 
than  Matthew's,  but  some  things  in  Matthew's  report  appear  later 
in  Luke  and  are  assigned  to  different  occasions.  Doubtless  Jesus, 
who  was  frequently  preaching  on  the  same  subjects  in  so  many  dif- 
ferent localities,  said  the  same  things  in  different  places.  The  differ- 
ences of  expression  in  these  two  reports  of  what  seems  to  be  the 
same  discourse  constitute  a  part  of  the  so-called  "  Synoptic  Prob- 
lem," the  consideration  of  which  is  beyond  the  scope  of  this  book. 

Are  there  any  characteristic  peculiarities  in  Luke  6:20-26  when 
compared  with  Matthew  5:3-12?  The  use  of  "sinners"  in  Luke 
6:32-34,  instead  of  the  more  Jewish  expression  "publicans"  and 
"Gentiles"  in  Matt.  5:46-47,  has  been  noted.  Is  there  anything 
Lukan  in  the  last  word  of  v.  36  (cf.  Matt.  5:48)  .?  Is  there  anything 
characteristic  in  Luke's  omission  of  Matt.  5:21-24?  Matt.  5- 33" 
37?  Matt.  6:2-7?  Matt.  6:16-18?  Does  Jesus  say  that  all  poor 
and  hungry  are  blessed  (vv.  20-21)  ? 

Personal  Thought:  Jesus  protested  with  all  the  divine  vigor  of  His 
soul  against  current  social  valuations.  The  need  of  such  protest  is 
urgent  to-day.  Do  you  really  believe  in  the  supremacy  of  character  ? 
Would  you  lower  your  moral  standards  a  trifle  in  order  to  become 
very  rich  ? 


126       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XV.— STcetttfi*  (3xmott6  9lrtlDitp  iSefarc  tl)c  ^onrncp  to 

^TcrtiBalcm 

Fourth     Day  :     Jesus    Appoints    Twelve    Apostles    (concluded). 
Luke  6 : i 2-49 

1.  Take  up  Luke  6:27-36  verse  by  verse,  endeavoring  to  penetrate 
deeply  into  its  meaning,  and  consider  how  much  more  fundamental 
these  standards  are  than  those  that  generally  prevail  in  many  very 
respectable  lives.  First  read  vv.  27-28.  What  is  it  to  "love"  an 
enemy  ?  Does  it  involve  approval  of  his  unfriendly  heart  ?  What  is 
it  to  "bless"  a  person?  What  is  it  to  "curse"  a  person.?  What  is 
the  psychological  effect  upon  one's  self  of  praying  for  a  person,  or  of 
doing  him  a  kindness  ^  Do  not  be  side-tracked  by  debating  whether 
the  injunctions  in  vv.  29-30  are  to  be  literally  obeyed.  Evidently 
you  would  not  "give"  to  a  little  boy  just  beginning  a  career  of  pro- 
fessional beggary.  What  is  the  great  idea  so  picturesquely  expressed  ? 
What  can  you  "give"  under  such  circumstances.'' 

What  is  the  assumption  that  underlies  the  argument  in  vv.  32-34 .? 
The  "merciful  Father"  (v.  36)  will  treat  a  man  of  merciful  dispo- 
sition with  abounding  mercy  (vv.  37-38). 

2.  With  V.  39  the  second  part  of  the  discourse  begins.  Its  domi- 
nant thought  is  that  those  disciples  who  were  leading  the  way  into  the 
Kingdom  must  first  of  all  be  right  themselves.  They  must  be  keen- 
eyed  guides  (v.  39)  for  their  followers  will  at  best  be  no  better  than 
they  themselves  are  (v.  40).  They  cannot  correct  others  until  they 
have  corrected  themselves  (vv.  41-42).  They  must  be  at  heart  good 
men  themselves  before  they  can  do  good  to  others  (vv.  43-45).  Polite 
professions  cannot  count  for  actual  obedience  (46).  Read  once  more 
the  impressive  ending  in  vv;  47-49. 

Personal  Thought:  These  searching  requirements  of  Jesus  go  deep 
down  into  the  foundations  of  personal  character,  and  lead  him  who 
would  obey  them  to  realize  that  down  in  the  depths  of  his  being 
is  an  elemental  selfishness  which  fiercely  hates  enemies,  and  bitterly 
resents  thefts,  and  strikes  vindictively  back  at  personal  abuse.  It  is 
only  a  disciple  of  Jesus  whose  inmost  being  is  touched  by  the  Spirit 
of  His  merciful  Father  that  can  hope  for  success  in  this  high  kind  of 
life.  The  human  heart  can  maintain  unfailing  good-will  only  when 
it  is  in  vital  connection  with  the  great  central  Heart  which  pulses  out 
good-will  eternally. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       127 


Study  XV.— 3fe6«6'  Gracious  ^tctiUitp   before  ti)e  ^onraep  to 

3feru6alcm 

Fifth  Day  :  Jesus'  Wonders  Increase ;  His  Criticism  of  the  Rabbis 
Begins.     Luke  7:1-50 

1.  After  the  appointment  of  the  Twelve  His  healings  become  more 
wonderful;  in  one  case  He  heals  at  a  distance,  and  again,  restores  life 
to  a  dead  man;  He  criticises  the  rabbis  in  general  for  their  attitude 
towards  the  Baptist  and  Himself,  and  in  contrast  speaks  appreciatively 
of  the  receptivity  of  the  outcast  classes;  a  very  striking  case  of  this  con- 
trast occurs  when  He  dines  with  a  Pharisee  (7  : 1-50).  Glance  at  Luke 
7:1-10,  the  subject-matter  of  which  has  been  studied  in  Matthew. 
Notice  again  the  characteristic  peculiarities  in  v.  2  and  vv.  3-5. 

2.  Read  carefully  7:11-17,  which  is  peculiar  to  Luke.  Note  the 
details  that  emphasize  the  pathetic  features  of  the  situation.  This 
young  man  had  probably  died  that  day;  the  mother's  grief  was  fresh. 
The  peculiar  loneliness  of  her  situation  had  appealed  to  a  large  part 
of  the  town  (v.  12).  There  was  sympathetic  stillness  except  for  the 
pitiful  wailing  of  the  mother  (v.  13)  and  the  mourners  which  filled  the 
air,  and  the  soft  patter  of  many  sandaled  feet,  which  was  heard  as 
the  crowd  passed  along  the  city  street  through  the  gate  toward  the 
burial-place  outside.  There  another  great  company  met  them  with 
the  Lord  of  Life  at  its  head!  Is  Jesus  regarded  by  these  people  as 
the  Messiah  ?  "Judea"  in  v.  17  is  perhaps  used  of  all  Palestine  (cf. 
6:17).  Note  in  V.  13  the  title  which  Luke  uses,  and  which  is  fre- 
quently used  by  him  instead  of  "Jesus." 

3.  Luke  7:  18-35  'S  "o^  substantially  different  from  the  parallel 
in  Matthew  already  studied.  Glance  through  it,  noting  the  criticism 
of  the  rabbis  contained  in  it.  The  section  closes  with  a  paragraph 
peculiar  to  Luke  (vv.  36-50)  which,  in  a  concrete  instance,  presents 
the  rabbis  in  a  very  unfavorable  light.  The  incident  illustrates  the 
general  situation  described  in  vv.  29-30.  Professor  Bruce  regards  it 
rather  as  introduced  by  Luke  to  show  how  Jesus  came  to  have  the 
reputation  described  in  v.  34.  Read  the  paragraph  and  note  at  least 
two  characteristic  peculiarities  of  Luke. 

There  is  said  to  be  much  less  privacy  in  eastern  homes  than  is 
common  with  us,  so  that  an  uninvited  person  might  come  in  to  look 
on.  This  woman  had  evidently  led  an  immoral  life  and  was  a  public 
character   (v.    39).     She   had    evidently   experienced   kindness    from 


128       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Jesus,  for  she  had  brought  an  alabaster  vase  of  myrrh  with  which  to 
express  her  gratitude.  (There  is  no  sufficient  evidence  for  the  sup- 
position that  she  was  Mary  Magdalene  or  Mary  of  Bethany.)  The 
guests  at  the  dinner-party  were  reclining  on  couches  about  the  table, 
their  feet  from  the  table,  according  to  the  usual  custom.  This  woman 
broke  out  sobbing  (v.  38,  the  Greek  word  indicates  audible  crying) 
as  soon  as  she  reached  the  couch  of  Jesus,  and  kneeling  by  it  she 
kissed  his  feet  repeatedly  (v.  38,  margin  R.  V.).  Her  long  hair  came 
down  and  she  caressingly  wiped  her  tears  from  His  feet  with  it.  The 
rabbi  was  scandalized  that  Jesus  should  allow  such  a  woman  to  touch 
Him.  He  argued  in  his  mind  that  Jesus  could  not  be  the  prophet 
He  was  popularly  thought  to  be  or  He  would  know  the  disreputable 
character  of  this  woman.  Without  apparently  noticing  the  woman, 
Jesus  in  his  usual  enigmatical  style  told  His  host  a  story  (vv.  40-42). 
Then,  finally  turning  His  head  to  look  at  the  woman.  He  adminis- 
tered a  courteous,  dignified  rebuke  to  His  host  for  the  discourteous 
reception  He  had  experienced  at  his  hands  (notice  the  antitheses  in 
vv.  44-46).  This  lack  of  courtesy  seems  to  indicate  that  some  other 
motive  than  friendliness  had  prompted  the  rabbi's  invitation.  How- 
ever, Jesus'  main  point  was  that  this  woman's  evident  affection  was 
a  proof  that  her  sins,  which  the  rabbi  had  not  at  all  overestimated 
and  which  Jesus  had  no  disposition  to  condone  (v.  47),  were  forgiven. 
The  clause  "for  she  loved  much"  (v.  47)  does  not  give  the  reason 
for  her  being  forgiven,  but  the  reason  for  knowing  that  she  was  for- 
given: "You  may  be  sure  that  she  is  a  much  forgiven  person  or 
else  she  would  not  be  loving  so  much."  The  point  was  that  evi- 
dently the  rabbi  had  either  little  sin  or  little  penitence.  Jesus  cour- 
teously left  it  to  His  host's  conscience  to  inform  him  which!  Then 
Jesus  turned  to  the  woman,  and  with  an  authority  that  startled  all 
the  guests  assured  her  that  her  sins  were  forgiven.  Her  loving  con- 
fidence in  Him  had  wrought  a  transformation  in  her  life  that  would 
give  her  peace. 

Personal  Thought :  In  this  study  there  have  come  wonderfully 
to  light  Jesus'  power,  even  over  death;  the  uncompromising,  but 
courteous,  kindly  sincerity  with  which  He  talked  to  His  host;  the 
strong  tenderness  v?ith  which  He  comforted  a  heart  rising  up  in  tu- 
multuous penitence  out  of  sin.  Do  you  find  yourself  more  and  more 
strongly  drawn  to  Him  ? 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       129 


Study  XV.—^ftivm*  (SvKtiane  artibit^  before  tl)e  STotttaep  to 

3fcrtt£(alein 

Sixth  Day  :  Jesus  and  His  Company  Go  on  an  Evangelizing  Totxr; 
Jesus  Performs  Four  Great  Wonders.     Luke  8:1-56 

1.  Tbe  apostolic  company,  accompanied  by  certain  women  of  some 
wealth,  goes  triumphantly  from  city  to  city  announcing  that  the  King- 
dom of  God  is  near;  Jesus  gives  some  special  instructions  to  His  dis- 
ciples, showing  the  importance  of  candid  attention  to  His  teaching, 
and  does  four  very  wonderful  things  (8:1-56).  Read  8:1-3  and  note 
two  characteristic  peculiarities.  Picture  the  progress  of  this  group 
on  its  glad  errand.  The  "many  others"  (v.  3)  is  feminine  in  the 
Greek,  showing  that  there  was  a  considerable  number  of  women, 
perhaps  some  of  them  family  connections  of  the  apostles.  Note  the 
very  significant  statement  regarding  the  way  in  which  the  expenses 
of  these  evangelistic  campaigns  were  met.  The  wife  of  the  manager 
of  Herod's  private  property  was  in  the  group.  Perhaps  this  accounts 
for  the  special  interest  felt  by  Herod  in  Jesus  (cf.  Luke  23:8). 

2.  The  story  of  the  soil  and  seed  appears  at  this  point  in  Luke 
(8:4-15),  apparently  to  show  the  varied  reception  accorded  to  Jesus' 
evangel  that  has  just  been  mentioned  in  vv.  1-3.  The  last  words 
of  V.  12  are  peculiar  to  Luke's  account  and  are  suggestive  of  Paul. 
V.  15  also  is  peculiar  to  Luke.  Read  the  verse  carefully.  What 
constitutes  a  heart  "honest"  and  "good"  in  its  treatment  of  truth .? 
What  is  it  to  "hold  it  fast  ?" 

Luke  adds  an  episode  about  Jesus'  mother  and  brothers,  not  giv- 
ing the  motive  for  their  visit  as  did  Mark  (3:20,  21,  31),  but  using 
it  because  Jesus'  statement  in  v.  21  enforces  the  truth  of  the  story 
of  the  soil  and  seed,  especially  v.  15. 

3.  The  section  8:22-56  is  closely  parallel  to  Mark  4:35-5:43. 
Do  you  see  any  characteristic  peculiarities  in  8:22  (cf.  Mark  4:35)? 
In  8:40  (cf.  Mark  5:21)?  That  in  8:42  (cf.  Mark  5:23)  has  been 
already  noted. 

Personal  Thought:  "Hold  it  fast  and  bring  forth  fruit  with  pa- 
tience" (Luke  8: 15).  It  is  perfectly  certain  that  if  a  person  of  ordi- 
nary candor  will  simply  give  patient,  regular  attention  to  the  thoughts 
in  the  word  of  God  his  living  will  improve.  He  will  not  need  to 
worry  about  the  growth  of  his  character.  All  he  needs  to  do  is  to 
hold  these  thoughts  fast  as  an  object  of  candid  attention. 


130       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XV.— Jmus*  (SraciouB  9lrtttiitp  before  t^t  ^ounup  to 

3fcru6alrm 

Seventh    Day:     Jesus    Sends    Out   the   Twelve;  Afterwards  in 
private  He  tells  them  that  He  is  to  be  Killed.     Luke  9: 1-50 

1.  When  the  Twelve  return  from  a  short  period  of  independent  work, 
Jesus  goes  into  seclusion  with  them  and  devotes  Himself  to  their  pri- 
vate instruction;  it  becomes  evident  that  they  believe  Htm  to  be  the 
Messiah,  and  He  begins  to  tell  them  of  His  coming  death  and  of  the 
sacrifice  requisite  for  discipleship;  three  of  them  hear  Moses  and  Elias 
talking  with  Him  at  night  in  glory  of  His  coming  death,  and  the  entire 
company  are  astonished  at  the  manifestation  of  His  power  in  the  cure 
of  an  obdurate  case  of  demonical  possession;  He  tries  especially  to 
secure  a  spirit  of  unselfish  sympathy  among  them  (5:1-50).  Read 
Luke  9:1-6.  This  is  practically  the  same  as  the  paragraph  Mark 
6:7-11.  Attention  used  to  be  called  to  the  fact  that  Luke  represents 
Jesus  as  saying  that  they  were  not  to  take  a  staff  (v.  3),  while  according 
to  Mark  (6:8)  they  were  to  take  only  a  staff.  Such  differences  in 
detail  are  now  generally  felt  to  be  such  as  may  be  expected  in  all 
trustworthy  narratives  which  take  their  form  by  such  processes  as 
our  Gospels  seem  to  have  passed  through.  The  point  clearly  enough 
is  that  they  were  to  go  with  meagre  equipment. 

2.  Read  Luke  9:7-9.  Luke  omits  the  account  of  the  execution 
of  John  the  Baptist.  Perhaps  it  seemed  to  him  too  gruesome  a  nar- 
rative for  the  golden  atmosphere  of  his  Gospel.  Glance  over  Luke 
9:10-17,  noting  the  glad  graciousness  of  Jesus  in  v.  11. 

3.  Read  Luke  9:18-27,  remembering  what  has  already  been  said 
about  the  strange  omission  of  the  section  Mark  6:45-8:26  (Matt. 
14:22-16:12),  and  the  absence  of  all  geographical  allusion.  Notice 
the  Lukan  characteristic  in  v.  18  (cf.  Mark  8:27),  the  characteristic 
omission  of  Peter's  forwardness  and  Jesus'  rebuke  (cf.  Mark  8:32- 
33).  Glance  over  Luke  9:28-50.  What  characteristic  peculiarity 
occurs  in  vv.  28-29  (^f-  Mark  9:2);  v.  38  (cf.  Mark  9: 17);  v.  45  (cf. 
Mark  9: 32)  .''  Notice  the  characteristic  omission  of  matter  contained 
in  Mark  9:42-50. 

Personal  Thought:  "Lest  he  forfeit  his  own  self"  (9:25).  The 
damage  done  is  in  the  sphere  of  his  own  personality.  He  cannot 
escape  from  himself.  He  passes  on  into  eternity  with  a  damaged  self. 
It  is  the  old  question:  What  kind  of  person  are  you  becoming? 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       131 


Study  XVI.— Cbe  loTiff,  ©^cntfttl  STottmep  to  S'etufialcm 

First    Day:    Jesus  Sends  Messengers  Ahead  to  Prepare  for  His 
Coming.     Luke  9:51-10:37 

1.  Luke  9:51  begins  the  second  main  division  of  the  Gospel  "The 
Long,  Eventful  Journey  to  Jerusalem"  (9:51-19:28).  Read  Luke 
9:51-10:24  in  the  light  of  the  following  characterization:  Jesus 
sends  out  messengers,  first  a  few  into  Samaria  and  afterwards  seventy 
over  a  wider  area,  to  prepare  the  way  for  Him  in  all  the  villages  that 
He  will  visit  on  the  journey  to  Jerusalem,  giving  them  careful  in- 
structions;  the  seventy  messengers  return,  enthusiastic  over  the  suc- 
cess of  their  mission  ;  Jesus  rejoices  in  His  power  to  show  men  what 
kind  of  person  God  is  and  to  establish  the  kingdom  so  long  expected 
by  prophets  and  kings.  The  Samaritan  villagers,  jealous  of  Jerusa- 
lem, had  no  mind  to  extend  hospitality  even  to  the  famous  prophet 
if  He  proposed  to  make  Jerusalem  His  objective  point.  What 
does  the  visit  to  Jerusalem  mean  to  James  and  John,  and  v?hy  are 
they  so  fierce  ? 

2.  Read  9:57-62.  Luke  brings  out  more  clearly  than  did  Mat- 
thew (8:18-22)  the  important  emergency  that  required  such  urgency. 
There  was  no  time  for  the  journey  home  (v.  61),  and  to  wish  to  make 
it  in  this  crisis  argued  half-hearted  devotion  to  the  cause.  It  is  to  be 
expected  that  Jesus  would  give  the  same  general  directions  to  the 
Seventy  that  seemed  to  Him  necessary  in  the  case  of  the  Twelve 
sent  out  earher  (Mark  6:8-11;  Matt.  9:37-38,  10:7-16).  Exactly 
what  were  these  messengers  to  do  in  each  village  (10: l)? 

3.  The  Seventy  were  not  to  remain  in  the  villages  they  visited  until 
Jesus  came,  but  seem  rather  to  have  come  together  to  some  appointed 
place  where  He  was  waiting  for  them  (v.  17).  In  the  successful 
attack  of  these  messengers  upon  the  forces  of  evil  He  had  seen  the 
swift,  decisive  overthrov^  of  Satan's  empire  (v.  18).  The  most  satis- 
factory achievements  of  the  present  life  are  but  faintly  suggestive  of 
those  that  shall  be  ours  in  the  age  to  come  (v.  20).  It  was  in  view  of 
the  success  of  these  men  that  He  prayed  (v.  21).  On  this  paragraph 
refer  to  Study  VIII,  Fifth  Day.  These  thoughts  must  have  been 
often  in  Jesus'  mind  and  may  have  been  expressed  at  various  times. 
What  "things"  are  referred  to  in  w.  23-24.'' 

Personal  Thought:  We  too  need  to  appreciate  the  glory  of  living 
in  the  era  of  the  Son  of  Man. 


132       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XVl.—dLlit  lonff,  ©Dcntfnl  ^oamcp  to  '^tvneahm 

Second  Day:    Jestis  Tells  the  Story  of  the  Neighborly  Samaritan. 
Luke  10:25-37 

A  rabbi  tests  Jesus'  ability  as  a  teacher  by  asking  Him  how  to 
prepare  for  eternal  life  in  the  New  Kingdom,  and  Jesus  replies  by  tell- 
ing the  story  of  the  Neighborly  Samaritan  (10:25-37).  Read  10:25- 
37.  It  is  like  Luke  to  bring  out  with  satisfaction  the  fact  that  Jesus 
made  a  Samaritan  the  hero  of  this  story.  Possibly  the  details  of  the 
treatment  of  the  wounded  man  betray  a  physician's  interest.  Cer- 
tainly the  humane  mercifulness  of  the  Samaritan  is  in  harmony  with 
the  spirit  of  Luke's  Gospel.  Luke's  evident  satisfaction  is  seen  in 
the  way  in  which  he  dwells  upon  the  details  in  vv.  33-35.  Read  the 
verses  once  more  with  active  imagination.  The  sum  of  money  left 
to  pay  the  hotel  bill  was  two  denarii,  and  the  purchasing  power  of  a 
denarius  can  be  estimated  from  Matt.  20:2.  What  is  the  truth  that 
this  story  of  the  Neighborly  Samaritan  illustrates .''  That  is,  what 
does  it  show  to  be  Jesus'  conception  of  eternal  life  and  of  the  way 
to  get  it  (v.  25)  ? 

Personal  Thought :  "  He  took  care  of  him  "  (v.  34).  There  is  danger 
that  we  shall  try  to  do  our  benevolent  work  through  organizations 
and  committees,  through  subscriptions  of  money  to  charitable  enter- 
prises, without  spending  time  and  giving  personal  attention  to  those 
who  need  us.  We  sometimes  report  a  "case"  to  an  organization  to 
which  we  have  made  a  subscription  and  go  our  way  with  an  un- 
warranted sense  of  satisfaction.  The  organization  is  indispensable, 
but  personal  sympathy,  and  not  merely  official  attention,  is  what 
people  lying  by  the  roadside  need. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       13J 


Study  XVI.— CI)e  lonff,  €t>entfttl  ^ourncp  to  Jerusalem 

Third    Day;     Jesus  Teaches  about  Hospitality  and  Prayer,  and 
Attacks  the  Rabbis.     Luke  10:38-12:12 

1.  In  a  village  Jesus  shows  a  •woman  what  constitutes  true  hospi- 
tality (10:38-42).  Read  10:38-42.  Luke's  indifference  to  geo- 
graphical details  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  Mary  and  Martha, 
who  are  apparently  the  same  ones  that  appear  in  John's  Gospel  as 
living  in  Bethany,  a  suburb  of  Jerusalem  (John  11),  appear  here  sim- 
ply "in  a  certain  village"  on  the  way  to  Jerusalem.  Can  you  tell 
from  the  narrative  which  of  these  sisters  owned  the  property  ?  In  v. 
42  some  manuscripts  read  "but  few  things  are  needful,  or  even  one" 
(margin  R.  V.),  which  is  sometimes  thought  to  mean  that  one  article 
of  food  would  answer,  but  more  probably  the  "one  thing  needful" 
is  not  food  at  all.  What  does  Jesus  mean  to  say  is  the  "one  thing" 
that  is  essential  to  good  hospitality  (v.  42)  .''  What  is  there  that  is 
characteristic  of  Luke  in  the  incident  ? 

2.  In  11:1-13  appears  Luke's  characteristic  emphasis  of  prayer. 
Read  vv.  1-4  and  compare  Matt.  6:9-13.  Evidently  this  prayer  did 
not  at  first  take  a  stereotyped  form.  These  were  Jesus'  favorite  topics 
of  prayer  which  He  probably  suggested  on  several  occasions.  Read 
vv.  5-8,  noting  their  allusion  to  the  life  of  the  poor.  Perhaps  Jesus 
in  His  boyhood  had  been  wakened  by  such  a  knock  at  night  and  had 
heard  such  a  conversation.  Does  this  verse  show  that  God  is  like 
the  sleeping  neighbor.''  On  what  does  Jesus  base  His  confidence 
in  prayer .''     Notice  the  Lukan  characteristic  in  v.  13  (cf.  Matt.  7:  11). 

3.  The  rabbis  advance  the  Beelzebub  hypothesis  in  explanation  of 
"Jesus'  power  to  cure  demoniacs;  Jesus  defends  Himself  and  sharply 
attacks  the  religious  sham  and  unreceptivity  of  the  rabbis  (ll :  14-12: 12). 
Part  of  the  subject-matter  of  this  section  has  already  been  studied, 
and  the  rest,  found  also  in  Matt.  23,  will  be  studied  when  the  events 
of  the  Last  Week  are  taken  up.  At  present  read  it  rapidly  through, 
noticing  the  characteristic  peculiarity  in  11:27-28. 

Personal  Thought :  "Knock  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you."  A 
person  who  knocks  believes  that  there  is  someone  on  the  other  side 
of  the  door,  and  after  knocking  waits  and  listens.  Our  prayers  are 
too  often  taken  up  with  the  vociferous  presentation  of  our  own  feelings 
and  needs  and  not  enough  with  reverent  listening  for  God  to  speak. 


134      Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XVI. —Cbe  Long;,  (Elicntfol  ^Tounitp  to  3reru6alcm 

Fourth  Day:  Jesus  Teaches  that  His  Disciples  must  Speak 
Out,  and  that  Life  does  not  consist  in  Owning  Property. 
Luke  12:1-21 

1.  Glance  rapidly  once  more  over  11:37-54  in  order  to  see  how 
fierce  the  opposition  of  the  rabbis  was  becoming.  In  12:1-12  Jesus 
urges  His  disciples  to  speak  out  in  spite  of  this  opposition.  Jesus 
had  accused  the  Pharisees  of  hypocrisy — that  is,  of  trying  to  seem 
better  than  they  were,  or  trying  to  conceal  their  real  selves  (11:39, 
44).  The  disciples  are  also  in  danger  of  insincerity,  though  of  a 
somewhat  different  sort.  They  are  in  danger  of  being  so  frightened 
by  the  opposition  that  they  will  conceal  their  attachment  to  Jesus. 
Read  12: 1-12.  The  connection  of  v.  10  with  the  context  is  not  very 
clear.  The  utterance  appears  in  another  connection  in  Mark  (3 :  29) 
and  Matthew  (12:32).  Perhaps  here  Jesus  hints  at  the  extreme  sin 
into  which  those  who  are  afraid  to  speak  out  will  ultimately  come. 

2.  In  this  time  of  great  spiritual  crisis  of  which  Jesus  had  just 
been  speaking  a  typical  voice  out  of  the  great  crowd  shouted  "Make 
my  brother  divide!"  Jesus  saw  that  the  man's  real  danger  was 
"covetousness,"  that  is,  an  excessive  desire  to  get  property  for  him- 
self. Read  carefully  vv.  13-21.  What  is  the  argument  against  covet- 
ousness in  V.  15  ?  What  does  a  man's  life  consist  in  ?  Why  did  God 
consider  the  rich  Syrian  farmer  to  be  a  "fool"  (v.  20)?  That  is, 
what  ought  the  man  to  have  done  that  he  did  not  do  .? 

Personal  Thought:  "This  night  is  thy  soul  required  of  thee,  and  the 
things  which  thou  hast  prepared,  whose  shall  they  heV  This  man's 
soul  had  been  set  down  for  a  little  while  in  the  midst  o(  things.  The 
man's  chief  interest  had  been  in  the  things;  God's  chief  interest  had 
been  in  the  soul.  The  man  had  been  watching  the  things  increase; 
God  had  been  watching  to  see  the  soul  increase.  This  man  might 
have  used  the  things  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  his  soul  increase.  He 
might  have  used  his  things  richly  for  God  (v.  21).  That  is  what 
God  set  him  down  in  the  midst  of  things  for. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       135 


Study  XVL— C[)e  Long:,  (Kbcntful  STattrncp  to  STerusalem 

Fifth     Day:  Jesus   Teaches    that  to  be  Ready  for  God  is  of 
Supreme  Importance.     Luke  12:22-59 

Read  again  12:22-34,  the  substance  of  which  we  have  already  had 
in  Matthew.  The  aim  of  Jesus  is  to  get  men  to  act  in  accordance 
with  their  belief  that  there  is  a  God. 

Compare  v.  24  with  v.  18.  The  picture  in  w.  ^^'37  is  that  of  an 
illuminated  house  at  night  with  servants  ready  to  start  at  a  moment's 
notice  to  admit  their  master  when  he  comes  back  from  attending  a 
wedding.  What  is  the  new  figure  in  vv.  39-40  ?  What  was  it  in  the 
situation  of  Jesus'  hearers  that  these  stories  illustrated  .?  That  is, 
what  did  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  mean  to  those  to  whom 
Jesus  first  addressed  these  words .? 

Read  vv.  41-48.  Special  instruction  is  given  to  the  Twelve,  who 
hold  the  position  of  stewards  or  overseers.  They  have  special  privi- 
leges, and  therefore  special  responsibility,  and  special  blame  in  case 
of  faithlessness.  This  circumstance  discriminates  between  them 
and  disciples  less  intimately  associated  with  Jesus. 

The  tense  strenuousness  of  the  spirit  of  Jesus  at  this  time  is  very 
impressive.  Read  vv.  49-53.  The  immediate  future  is  not  to  bring 
peace  and  plenty,  but  strife  and  sacrifice.  The  development  of  the 
situation  is  rapid.  He  finds  what  He  came  to  see  already  begun 
(v.  49).  Fire  consumes  the  inflammable  and  leaves  the  imperish- 
able; that  is,  Jesus  separates,  and  separation  is  the  dominant  idea 
of  this  paragraph.  A  dividing  line  will  pass  through  families.  The 
three  young  people,  the  son,  his  wife,  and  his  sister,  on  one  side,  and 
the  two  old  people  on  the  other  side. 

In  vv.  54-59  He  turns  again  to  the  miscellaneous  crowd  hurry- 
ing on  to  judgment  without  knowing  it,  shrewd  men  acting  spiritually 
like  fools.  They  are  like  men  on  their  way  to  the  magistrate  with 
only  a  moment  for  settling  with  their  creditors.     Read  vv.  54-59. 

Personal  Thought:  God  is  an  ever-present  fact.  To  be  ready 
every  hour  for  every  demonstration  God  may  make  is  to  live.  If 
we  are  trustfully  ready  for  His  provident  care  in  every  hour  of  need, 
loyally  ready  to  own  Him  in  an  hour  when  confession  means  sacri- 
fice, eagerly  ready  to  go  forward  with  Him  when  His  Kingdom  ad- 
vances, humbly  ready  for  the  judgment  of  His  Son — if  we  are  ready 
for  God  it  makes  no  diflference  whether  we  are  rich  or  poor. 


136       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XVI.— STJje  Lonff,  ©tientful  3fouriitj)  to  3[eru6alcin 
Sixth  Day:  The  Judgment  to  Come.     Luke  13:1-35 

1.  The  strong  sense  of  the  judgment  to  come  still  possesses  the 
spirit  of  Jesus  in  the  discourse  of  chapter  13.  Pilate  had  killed 
some  Galileans  as  they  were  sacrificing  in  the  temple;  a  tower  had 
fallen  on  eighteen  men  in  a  Jerusalem  suburb.  Everyone  was  talk- 
ing about  these  events.  Jesus'  mind  was  filled  wjth  another  thought. 
Read  13:1-5.  Read  vv.  6-9  which  emphasize  the  nearness  of  judg- 
ment. 

2.  The  spiritual  stolidity  of  the  people  and  their  ripeness  for  judg- 
ment are  concretely  illustrated  in  the  case  of  the  president  of  the 
synagogue.  Read  w.  10-17.  What  was  the  fundamental  difficulty 
with  this  man  .?  Do  you  see  anything  characteristic  of  Luke  in  w. 
II,  17?  This  is  another  of  the  many  appearances  of  women  in  the 
narrative.  It  is  hard  to  see  how  the  two  parables  in  vv.  18-21  fit 
into  this  context. 

3.  Jesus'  consciousness  of  coming  judgment  leads  to  the  question 
in  V.  23.  Read  w.  22-30.  What  is  Jesus'  reply  to  His  questioner.'' 
What  is  the  "door,"  and  in  what  sense  is  the  "door"  a  narrow  one 
(v.  23)? 

4.  A  delegation  of  rabbis  either  hostile  and  wishing  to  be  rid  of 
Jesus,  or  somewhat  friendly,  and  wishing  to  be  of  assistance  to  Him, 
warn  Him  that  Herod  is  planning  to  kill  Him.  Jesus  alludes  to 
Herod's  sly,  crafty  character,  and  says  that  God  has  appointed  Him  a 
fixed  course  to  run  which  Herod  cannot  shorten.  He  adds  with 
sorrowful  irony  that  Herod  will  not  kill  Him,  for  it  is  the  special 
prerogative  of  Jerusalem  to  kill  prophets.  Read  vv.  31-35.  V.  34 
indicates  unrecorded  visits  to  Jerusalem. 

Personal  Thought:  "Strive  to  enter  in  by  the  narrow  door"  (13: 
24).  In  our  emphasis  of  the  reasonableness  and  simplicity  of  the 
Christian  life  there  is  perhaps  danger  that  we  underestimate  its  real 
difficulty.  The  Christian  readiness  to  treat  another  man  with  the 
same  consideration  that  we  should  be  glad  to  receive  from  him  im- 
plies the  reversal  of  the  strong  selfish  currents  of  our  own  being  and 
direct  opposition  to  popular  standards  of  shrewdness  and  success 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       137 


Study  XVI.— Cl)e  lonff,  ©Ucntful  '^auvntv  to  ^zvnealtm 

Seventh    Day  :  Plain  Talk  at   a  Rabbi's  Dinner-Party.     Ltike 

14: 1-24 

1.  Read  14:  1-6,  noting  carefully  every  detail  of  the  situation  de- 
scribed. Perhaps  it  is  due  to  the  fact  that  Jesus  does  not  stay  long 
in  any  one  place  on  this  journey  to  Jerusalem  that  social  relations 
with  the  rabbis  whom  He  so  vigorously  denounces  are  not  completely 
broken  off.  He  comes  to  each  new  town  with  a  reputation  that 
arouses  the  curiosity  of  the  local  rabbis  and  leads  them  to  invite  Him 
to  their  homes  for  inspection   (v.    i). 

2.  Read  14:7-11.  One  wonders  whether  the  rabbis  were  accus- 
tomed to  discuss  each  other's  foibles  so  frankly,  or  whether  in  this 
particular  Jesus  talked  "not  as  the  scribes."  Suppose  that  at  a  mod- 
ern dinner-party  one  were  to  talk  simply  and  frankly  about  the  social 
ambitions  that  were  being  gratified  or  disappointed  by  the  arrange- 
ment at  table! 

3.  Read  w.  12-14,  in  which  Jesus  spoke  with  engaging  frankness 
to  His  host.  The  Greek  in  v.  12  might  be  translated  "Do  not  keep 
inviting."  Write  out  carefully  what  you  conceive  to  be  Jesus'  law 
for  the  use  of  the  home.  In  what  will  the  recompense  at  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  righteous  consist  ? 

4.  One  of  the  guests  who  felt  that  the  conversation  was  becoming 
uncomfortably  personal  endeavored  to  turn  it  in  a  more  comfortable 
direction  by  making  a  very  commonplace,  pious  remark,  which  he 
thought  would  interest  a  professional  prophet.  He  said  that  it  would 
be-  a  blessed  thing  to  be  present  at  the  Messianic  banquet  (v.  15)! 
Jesus,  however,  would  not  deal  in  superficial  platitudes.  He  made 
the  allusion  to  the  Messianic  banquet  the  occasion  of  a  story,  the 
point  of  which  was  that  His  fellow  guests  were  not  likely  to  be  present 
on  that  occasion.  Read  vv.  15-24.  Taking  into  account  the  con- 
text, who  were  represented  by  those  who  were  invited  and  did  not 
accept  ?     By  those  who  did  accept  ? 

Personal  Thought:  To  help  those  who  are  not  likely  otherwise  to 
be  helped;  to  do  what  needs  to  be  done  and  is  not  likely  to  be  done 
unless  we  do  it  — to  do  this  for  love  of  God  and  man  is  to  meet  our 
Lord's  ideal. 


138       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XVII. — Cl)e  lonff,  ©Ijcntful  ^onrucp  to  '^txMaltm 
(Continued) 

First  Day:  Jesus  Urges  the  Crowds  to  Count  the  Cost  of  Dis- 
cipleship  and  Defends  Himself  for  Associating  with  the  Irre- 
ligious.    Luke  14:25-15:32 

1.  Jesus  dealt  with  the  crowds  as  frankly  as  with  the  rabbis.  He 
wished  no  one  to  follow  under  a  misapprehension  of  what  disciple- 
ship  meant.  Read  14:25-35.  There  was  considerable  likelihood 
that  a  man  would  find  himself  obliged  to  choose  between  family  friends 
and  Jesus.  Remember  the  situation  hinted  at  in  12:  52.  If  a  father 
or  mother  hostile  to  Jesus  should  insist  on  the  son's  renouncing  dis- 
cipleship,  the  choice  of  the  disciple  must  be  instant  and  unw^avering. 
Vv.  28-30  contain  an  illustration  which  is  common  in  the  experience 
of  one  who  was  a  builder  by  trade,  as  was  Jesus.  The  tower  may 
be  such  as  commonly  would  be  built  in  a  vineyard  where  a  watcher 
would  be  needed.  What  is  it  in  the  actual  experience  of  the  disciple 
that  is  described  in  this  illustration  ?  What  is  the  point  of  the  illus- 
tration in  w.  31-32.^  What  was  it  that  the  man  must  make  up 
his  mind  to  if  he  would  be  a  disciple  of  Jesus  ^  Why  is  one  who  has 
made  up  his  mind  to  this  like  "salt".'' 

2.  Read  15:1-7  with  active  imagination.  The  sheep  are  out  for 
summer  pasture  in  the  wilderness,  and  at  night  the  shepherd  finds 
that  one  of  the  hundred  is  gone.  Picture  the  search,  the  return,  and 
the  conversation  with  his  fellow  shepherds.  Verse  2  indicates  who 
is  represented  by  the  lost  sheep. 

Personal  Thought:  The  fundamental  fault  with  the  religious  peo- 
ple whom  Jesus  criticised  so  severely  in  chapter  14  was  that  they  wanted 
special  privileges.  They  enjoyed  finding  themselves  better  off  than 
other  people.  It  did  not  make  them  uncomfortable  to  see  others 
worse  off  than  themselves.  The  disciple  is  one  who  joins  his  Lord 
in  the  effort  to  share  his  own  special  privileges  with  the  unprivileged. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       139 


Study  XVII.— C^e  lonff,  (Btitnttul  3fottrncp  to  ^T^ttiealcra 

{ContmueJ) 

Second  Day  :  Jesus  Defends  Himself  for  Associating  with  the 
Irreligious  (concluded).     Luke  15:8-32 

1.  Read  15:8-10,  picturing  the  anxious  woman  peering  in  the 
cracks  with  her  taper  lamp,  sweeping  all  her  rooms,  finally  going 
from  house  to  house  calling  in  her  neighbors  to  hear  all  the  details 
of  her  successful  search  for  the  Lost  Drachma.  Remember  again 
to  whom  these  stories  are  told.  That  is,  who  are  "you"  in  v.  4.? 
What  was  this  story  intended  to  teach  them  ?  Is  its  teaching  at  all 
different  from  that  of  the  Lost  Sheep  ?  It  is  characteristic  of  Luke 
to  report  a  story  of  interest  to  women. 

2.  Read  now  the  third  story  in  this  wonderful  group,  namely,  the 
story  of  the  Lost  Son,  vv.  11-32,  and  compel  your  imagination  to 
produce  the  picture  described  in  each  verse.  Notice  first  the  main 
application  of  the  story,  which  begins  in  v.  25.  Who  was  it  in  the 
situation  confronting  Jesus  who  was  like  the  older  brother .''  Who 
was  the  younger  brother .?  And  who  was  the  father .?  Notice  the 
strong  contrast  between  the  older  brother  and  the  old  father.  Im- 
agine what  would  have  become  of  the  younger  brother  if  he  had  been 
obliged  to  deal  with  the  older  brother  instead  of  with  the  father!  Now 
read  the  paragraph  through  once  more,  making  a  study  of  the  main 
features  in  the  experience  and  disposition  of  each  of  the  three  prin- 
cipal cha  acters:  What  was  the  fundamental  difficulty  with  the 
younger  son  before  he  left  home.?  What  made  him  "come  to  him- 
self?" When  he  came  to  himself  what  did  he  see  that  he  had  not 
seen  before  ?  How  had  the  father  felt  during  the  younger  son's 
absence.?  What  was  the  fundamental  defect  in  the  character  of  the 
older  brother  ?     What  seems  to  have  become  of  the  older  brother  .? 

Personal  Thought :  We  need  from  time  to  time  to  ask  ourselves 
whether  we  agree  with  God  in  our  feeling  about  every  individual 
with  whom  we  have  to  do.  These  rabbis  did  not  agree  VTth  God. 
A  group  of  angels  (v.  10)  on  the  corner  of  one  of  the  heavenly  streets 
rejoiced  over  what  Jesus  was  doing;  a  group  of  rabbis  on  an  earthly 
street  corner  were  angry  at  the  same  phenomenon.  We  shall  not 
wholly  free  ourselves  from  defective  vision,  but  we  shall  be  greatly 
improved  if  we  often  try  to  imagine  how  God  feels  about  every  man 
we  meet,  and  then  endeavor  to  agree  with  God. 


140       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XVII.— Cj)e  lonff,  ©ticntfttl  Sonrnep  to  3[rruc!alnn 

{Continued^ 

Third  Day:   Jesus  Teaches    How  to  Use   Money.     Luke  16:1- 

17: 10 

1.  In  16:  I  Jesus  turns  to  the  rich  publicans,  who  were  coming  to 
Him  in  such  numbers  (15:  i),  and  begins  to  show  them  how  they 
ought  to  use  their  money.  Luke  hints  that  the  rabbis  needed  the 
lesson  also  (16:  14).  The  lesson  is  presented  in  the  story  of  the 
Shrewd  Steward.  The  story  is  found  in  vv.  1-8  and  the  truth  illus- 
trated in  vv.  9-13.  The  steward  seems  to  have  been  a  person  with 
authority  to  commute  the  debts  of  his  employer's  debtors  if  he  chose 
to  do  so.  This  steward's  fault  lay  in  something  that  he  had  done 
previous  to  the  time  when  he  appears  in  this  narrative  (vv.  1-2).  Now 
read  carefully  the  story  in  vv.  1-8,  looking  for  the  main  point  and  re- 
garding the  details  of  the  story  as  of  no  special  significance.  In 
what  did  the  steward's  shrewdness  consist } 

Now  read  vv.  9-13.  "Mammon"  means  money,  called  "unright- 
eous" because  so  often  leading  to  unrighteousness.  Verse  9  tells 
how  a  wise  disciple  of  Jesus  ought  to  use  his  money.  Be  sure  to 
read  v.  9  in  the  Revised  Version.  What  would  be  an  instance  of  a 
man  using  his  money  in  such  a  way  as  to  lay  the  foundation  for  an 
eternal  friendship  in  the  age  to  come  (v.  9)  ?  Jesus  evidently  did  not 
value  money  as  did  the  men  about  Him  ;  it  was  a  "very  little"  thing 
to  Him  (v.  10).  Yet  He  taught  that  the  use  a  man  makes  of  his 
money  is  a  true  test  of  his  character  (v.  10),  and  one  which  determines 
whether  God  can  conscientiously  entrust  to  Him  higher  forms  of 
power  (v.  11).  Money  is  a  temporary  possession  which  must  soon, 
at  the  longest,  become  "  another's"  (v.  12).  What  would  be  an 
instance  of  a  higher  form  of  power  which  a  man  could  carry  out  with 
him  in  the  age  to  come  as  "his  own"  (v.  12)  .'' 

2.  Note  in  V.  14  the  effect  of  this  teaching  upon  the  rabbis.  Read 
vv.  15-18.  The  connection  of  vv.  16-18  with  the  context  is  not  clear. 
Perhaps  the  thought  is  that  the  rabbis  are  the  abomination  of  God; 
the  publicans  rush  into  the  Kingdom  of  God;  the  rabbis  do  not  live 
up  to  their  own  standards,  especially  in  the  matter  of  divorce. 

Personal  Thought :  What  do  you  like  best  to  spend  money  for  I  The 
answer  to  this  question  will  determine  what  you  would  do  with  money 
if  you  had  a  great  deal  of  it. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       141 


Study  XVII.— C()e  iDaff,  ©DentfttI  ^foutnep  to  Jerusalem 

{Continued) 

Fourth    Day:  Jesus  Teaches  How  to  Use   Money  (concluded). 
Luke  16:1-17:10 

1.  After  the  parenthetical  statements  in  w.  14-18,  Jesus  goes  on  in 
ig-31  with  the  thought  of  vv.  1-13.  He  cites  the  case  of  a  man  who  did 
not  use  his  money  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  friends  who  would  meet 
him  in  the  other  world.  Consequently  in  the  other  world  he  was 
friendless.  "Hades"  (v.  23)  contains  both  Paradise  and  Gehenna. 
Read  vv.  19-31  with  active  imagination.  The  amount  of  significance 
that  should  be  attributed  to  the  various  details  of  this  illustration 
is  uncertain.  One  can  safely  insist  only  upon  the  main  point  illus- 
trated, which  is  clear  enough.  What  ought  the  rich  man  to  have 
done  on  earth?  "Abraham's  bosom"  (v.  23)  suggests  a  banquet 
at  which  the  man  who  was  so  hungry  on  earth  now  feasts  (cf.  Luke 
6:21,  24,  25).  Abraham's  bosom  would  be  the  place  on  the  couch 
next  to  that  of  Abraham  (cf.  John  13:23).  The  illustration  is 
brought  home  to  Jesus'  hearers  all  the  more  forcibly  by  bringing  the 
living  into  the  story  (vv.  27-31).  "Moses  and  the  prophets"  (v.  29), 
on  whose  teaching  the  money-loving  rabbis  rested  so  confidently 
(w.  14-17),  teach  another  use  of  money  than  that  which  the  rabbis 
are  making  (v.  31).  Glance  over  the  list  of  Lukan  characteristics  in 
Study  XIV  and  see  whether  any  of  them  appear  in  chapter  16. 

2.  A  group  of  miscellaneous  teachings  are  appended  in  17:  i-io. 
If  vv.  1-2  are  not  distinct  in  thought  from  vv.  3-4  they  may  mean 
that  the  disciples  must  not  hinder  those  who  are  preparing  for  the 
Kingdom,  and  that  consequently  whenever  their  fellow  disciples  do 
wrong,  they  must  have  their  attention  called  faithfully  to  the  wrong, 
and  when  they  repent,  they  must  without  fail  be  forgiven.  Read 
vv.  1-4.  Possibly  vv.  5-6  may  be  connected  with  vv.  7-10,  which 
warn  the  Twelve  against  the  selfish  ambition  to  be  conspicuous  for 
the  achievements  of  their  faith  and  which  say  that  the  essence  of 
faith  is  the  spirit  of  humble,  devout  service.     Read  w.  7-10. 

Personal  Thought:  "Faith  as  a  grain  of  mustard  seed."  Real 
faith  is  so  powerful  a  force  that  a  very  little  can  produce  tremendous 
results.  This  is  because  its  object  is  an  Almighty  God.  Much  so- 
called  faith  is  spurious  and  springs  simply  from  a  selfish  desire  to  do 
something  that  shall  gain  recognition  for  its  possessor. 


142       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XVII.— C()e  ionff,  ©bcntfttl  IJoumcp  to  ^txn&diltm 

(Continued) 

Fifth    Day:  The  Thatikful  Samaritan' Leper ;  the  Rabbi's  Ques- 
tion about  the  Time  of  the  Kingdom.     Luke  17:11-18:8 

1.  Read  17:  11-19.  Hear  these  ten  leprous  men  "afar  off"  in  their 
loneliness,  shouting  to  Jesus  for  help  and  hear  Him  shout  in  reply. 
The  last  clause  of  v.  19  indicates  that  some  effect  had  been  pro- 
duced in  this  man  beyond  the  physical  cure  of  the  leprosy  that  all 
had  experienced.  What  features  of  this  episode  make  it  attractive 
to  Luke  ? 

2.  Read  17:20-21.  The  question  of  the  rabbis  does  not  neces- 
sarily imply  that  they  saw  in  Jesus  a  Messianic  aspirant.  They  may 
have  seen  in  Him  only  a  prophet  who  proclaimed  the  nearness  of  the 
Kingdom.  What  is  the  meaning  of  His  reply  ?  That  is,  when  will 
the  Kingdom  come  ?  The  more  probable  translation  of  the  last  clause 
of  V.  21  is  that  in  the  margin,  "in  your  midst."  Read  next  what  Jesus 
says,  probably  more  privately,  to  His  disciples  in  vv.  22-37.  What 
impression  regarding  the  date  of  the  Messianic  demonstration  would 
these  words  make  upon  those  who  first  heard  them  ?  In  v.  37  they 
ask  where  the  Messianic  demonstration  will  be  made,  perhaps  ex- 
pecting Him  to  say  that  it  will  occur  when  they  reach  Jerusalem. 
The  reply,  in  His  usual  parabolic  fashion,  probably  means  that  the 
Messianic  judgment  will  be  experienced  wherever  there  is  anyone  to 
be  judged. 

There  is  a  vague  impression  of  delayed  judgment  made  by  this 
paragraph,  and  this  impression  is  decidedly  strengthend  by  the  next 
paragraph,  18:1-8.  Read  the  paragraph  through.  The  situation 
is  viewed  from  the  standpoint  of  those  who  look  to  the  judgment  as 
a  time  of  vindication  and  release  from  oppression  (v.  7).  Note 
that  the  last  clause  of  v.  8  indicates  a  time  of  great  trial  which  will 
severely  test  faith.  Notice  two  or  three  Lukan  characteristics  in  this 
paragraph.  The  argument  evidently  is  not  based  on  the  supposition 
that  God  is  like  the  unrighteous  judge. 

Personal  Thought:  "And  he  fell  upon  his  face  at  His  feet,  giving 
Him  thanks."  We  need  frequently  to  examine  our  prayers  in  order 
to  see  whether  gratitude  has  any  large  place  in  them.  What  is  your 
definition  of  gratitude  ?    What  is  the  real  meaning  of  "Thank  you  "  ? 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       143 


Study  XVIL— CI)e  ILouff,  (EtoentfttI  STottrncp  to  S'eragalcm 

{Continued) 

Sixth  Day  :  Those  who  can  be  Pronounced  Ready  for  the 
New  Kingdom  ;  Last  Days  Before  the  Arrival  in  Jerusalem. 
Luke  18:9-19:28 

1.  Those  who  can  be  pronounced  righteous  and  ready  for  the  Mes- 
sianic judgment  of  the  coming  Kingdom  are  some  of  the  so-called 
irreligious  class  rather  than  the  selfish  rabbis,  little  children,  and  those 
who  use  their  money  unselfishly  (18:9-30).  Read  18:9-14.  What 
two  characteristics  of  Luke  appear  here  ?  In  what  particulars  was 
the  character  of  the  pubHcan  better  than  that  of  the  rabbi  ? 

Read  vv.  15-17,  the  parallel  to  which  has  been  already  studied. 
Note  what  appears  here  as  constituting  readiness  for  the  coming 
Kingdom.     Read  also  vv.  18-30  and  note  the  same  thing. 

2.  As  Jesus  draws  near  Jerusalem  He  speaks  of  His  impending 
death;  almost  at  His  journey's  end  He  reaches  Jericho,  where  He  gives 
sight  to  a  blind  beggar  who-  recognizes  Htm  as  the  Messiah;  lodges 
with  a  wealthy  member  of  the  irreligious  class;  and  warns  His  follow- 
ers that  the  Kingdom  is  not  so  near  as  they  have  supposed  {l^:T^l—ig:  28). 
Read  18:  31-34.     Note  the  apology  for  the  apostles  in  v.  34. 

Read   18:35-43,  the  parallel  to  which  has  already  been  studied. 

Read  again  19:1-10,  and  note  any  of  Luke's  characteristic  pecu- 
liarities. What  was  it  in  the  publican's  character  that  fitted  him  for 
the  coming  Kingdom  (v.  9)  ? 

Personal  Thought:  "He  has  gone  in  to  lodge  with  a  man  who  is 
a  sinner!"  The  wonder  of  it  has  not  ceased.  The  phenomenon  is 
repeated  generation  after  generation.  The  loving  Spirit  of  Jesus 
Christ  enters  into  the  souls  of  men  that  are  sinners  not  to  "lodge"  for 
a  night,  but  to  abide  forevermore.  The  prospect  of  having  Jesus 
lodge  in  his  house  for  a  single  night  began  at  once  to  purify  the  life  of 
the  publican;  it  made  him  determine  to  do  whatever  might  be  neces- 
sary in  order  to  retain  his  guest.  Think  of  yourself  to-day  as  one 
with  whom  the  Hving  Soirit  of  Jesus  Christ  has  come  with  infinite 
friendliness  to  abide. 


144       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XVII.— ®|)e  long;,  (Eventful  Sfournrp  to  ^Tcrnfialcm 

{Concluded) 

Seventh    Day  :    Last    Days    Before    the   Arrival    in   Jerusalem 
(concluded).     Luke  19:11-28 

1.  The  disciples  were  living  in  an  atmosphere  charged  with  the 
sense  of  intense  expectation.  Their  arrival  in  Jerusalem  they  hoped 
would  witness  the  long  deferred  Messianic  Demonstration.  In  the 
licrht  of  this  thought  read  Luke  19:  11-28  and  answer  this  question: 
What  does  the  story  say  regarding  the  time  of  the  Messianic  Demon- 
stration (v.  11)  ?  The  story  not  only  contains  a  hint  about  the  time 
of  the  Messianic  Demonstration,  but  also  says  something  about  how 
those  who  watch  for  it  are  to  spend  their  time.  What  are  they  to  do 
in  the  meantime .?  A  parable  in  Matt.  25  similar  to  this  one  will  be 
studied  when  we  take  up  the  Last  Week. 

There  seems  to  be  a  double  parable  here.  The  ten  servants  of  the 
nobleman  constitute  a  body  by  themselves.  Entirely  distinct  from  them 
are  certain  citizens  who  hoped  the  nobleman  would  not  get  the  king- 
dom he  had  gone  to  secure  and  who  determined  not  to  submit  to  him 
if  he  did.  The  language  suggests  the  journey  of  some  local  potentate 
to  Rome  to  secure  a  grant  of  a  kingdom  from  the  emperor.  What  is 
the  point  of  this  part  of  the  story  in  its  application  to  Jesus'  situation  ? 

2.  Spend  a  little  time  thinking  of  the  Gospel  of  Luke  as  it  has  been 
briefly  surveyed  in  the  studies  of  the  last  four  weeks.  Glance  over 
the  headings  of  the  daily  studies.  What  aspect  of  the  character  of 
Jesus  has  been  made  most  impressive  to  you  .'' 

Personal  Thought:  "We  will  not  that  this  man  reign  over  us"  (v. 
14).  Christianity  in  its  last  analysis  is  the  relation  of  the  individual 
to  the  person  Jesus  Christ.  All  opposition  to  Christianity  is  in  essence 
unwillingness  to  have  this  man  reign  over  us.  "Wherefore  also  God 
highly  exalted  Him,  and  gave  unto  Him  the  name  which  is  above  every 
name,  that  in  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,  of  things  in 
heaven  and  things  on  earth  and  things  under  the  earth,  and  that  every 
tongue  should  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God 
the  Father."     (Phil.  2:9-11). 


PART   I 

STUDIES   IN   THE   LIFE    OF   JESUS    CHRIST   AS 
PRESENTED    IN   THE   SYNOPTIC    GOSPELS 


4.  Detailed  Study  of  the  Last  Week  of  the  Life 
of  Jesus  Christ,  According  to  the  Synoptic  Gospels. 
Studies  xviii-xxiii 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       147 


Study  XVIIL— C^e  last  Week  in  Sferusalm 

First    Day  :  The  Messianic  Entrance  into  Jerusalem.     Mark  1 1 : 
i-ii;  Matt.  21:1-11;  Luke  19:29-44 

We  have  now  traced  the  life  of  Jesus  in  all  three  Gospels  up  to 
the  last  week.  The  disciples  did  not  dream  that  it  was  to  be  the  last 
week.  The  long  procession  of  Passover  pilgrims  that  climbed  the 
steep  ascent  out  of  the  Jericho  plain,  and  began  the  all-day  walk  to 
Jerusalem,  contained  many  who  believed  that  the  Passover  Week 
would  witness  the  Messianic  demonstration  by  the  Galilean  Prophet. 
The  crowd  would  naturally  have  reached  Jerusalem  late  in  the  after- 
noon, or  perhaps,  if  they  rested  long  during  the  heat  of  the  day,  in 
the  evening.  The  Synoptic  Gospels  read  as  though  they  went  at 
once  into  Jerusalem  after  a  brief  halt  in  the  suburbs,  but  the  narra- 
tive is  so  condensed  that  this  inference  may  not  be  warranted.  John's 
Gospel,  as  we  shall  see  later,  implies  that  at  least  Jesus  and  His  com- 
pany rested  over  the  Sabbath  with  friends  in  a  suburb  and  did  not 
go  into  the  city  until  the  first  day  of  the  week  (John  12:  I,  2,  12). 
Jesus  then  did  a  somewhat  unusual  thing.  He  took  pains  to  enter 
the  city  in  a  formal  and  pretentious  way,  requiring  even  that  an  animal 
be  found  for  Him  to  ride  on,  and  one  that  had  never  been  ridden  by 
another  person.  The  crowds  went  wild  with  enthusiasm  on  the  short 
way  between  the  suburb  and  the  city.  Read  Mark  ii:i-ii.  Ac- 
cording to  V.  2,  Jesus  exercised  a  prophet's  power.  Vv.  3-6  indicate 
that  He  and  His  disciples  were  so  well  known  that  the  intimation 
that  the  Prophet  wished  to  use  the  colt  was  sufficient  to  secure  it.  Why 
did  He  wish  a  colt  that  had  not  been  used  by  another .''  (Cf.  Num. 
19:2;  Deut.  21 :  3;  I  Sam.  6:  7.)  "Lord"  in  this  connection  is  equiv- 
alent to  "Master"  or  "Rabbi."  Do  the  crowds  ascribe  Messiahship 
to  Jesus  in  w.  9-10?  "Hosanna"  is  a  prayerful  ejaculation,  "Save 
I  pray,"  like  our  "Long  live  the  king."  Why  did  Jesus  now  depart 
from  His  policy  of  reticence  and  encourage  such  a  demonstration  ^ 

Personal  Thought :  In  this  Messianic  entrance  into  His  capital  Jesus 
forevermore  dignified  the  commonplace  things  and  persons  that  were 
at  hand:  the  colt  that  stood  by  the  wayside,  the  plain  country  pil- 
grims, their  dusty  clothes,  and  the  branches  from  the  trees  in  the 
adjacent  fields.     Priests  and  rabbis,  gold  and  silver,  were  wanting. 


148       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XVIII.— Cf)c  last  Wnii  in  Sfrrufialem 

Second     Day  :   The    Messianic   Entraxice    into  Jerusalem    (con- 
cluded).    Mark  ii:i-ii;  Matt.  21:1-11;  Luke  19:29-44 

1.  According  to  Mark,  the  strange  procession  went  at  once  to  the 
temple.  They  marched  through  the  long  colonnades  and  over  the 
broad  beautiful  open  courts  looking  out  on  the  interesting  sights  of 
the  holy  place  (v.  ilV  There  must  have  been  a  stir  among  the 
priests!  The  city  was  filled  with  Passover  pilgrims,  and  Jesus  with 
the  Twelve  lodged  in  a  suburb,  as  did  many  others.  This  He  seems 
to  have  done  every  night  of  the  Last  Week  (cf.  Matt.  21:17; 
Luke  21:37). 

2.  Now  read  the  account  in  Matt.  21:  i-ii,  noting  the  additional 
particulars  in  vv.  2,  9,  and  the  characteristic  peculiarity  in  vv.  4-5. 
Every  one  ran  to  the  doors  and  windows  (v.  10). 

3.  Read  the  account  in  Luke  19:29-44.  Luke,  with  his  charac- 
teristic tendency  to  glorify  his  Lord,  and  to  emphasize  the  joyousness 
of  the  occasion,  speaks  of  what  occurred  as  the  eager  procession  of 
pilgrims  from  the  north  country  came  around  the  shoulder  of  the  hill 
and  saw  once  more  across  the  valley  the  Holy  City  that  they  loved. 
(Cf.  Ps.  122;  137:5-6.)  Read  again  vv.  37-38.  For  vv^hat  did  the 
rabbis  in  the  crowd  wish  the  disciples  to  be  rebuked  (v.  39)  ?  What 
does  this  indicate  regarding  Jesus'  previous  attitude  towards  any 
announcement  of  Messiahship  .?  What  did  He  mean  by  v.  40  .?  What 
is  there  peculiarly  characteristic  of  Luke  in  the  new  subject-matter 
of  w.  41-44  i*  What  was  seriously  wrong  in  the  city  ?  Jesus  would 
have  seemed  to  the  priests  and  rabbis  a  sentimental  alarmist,  for  the 
temple  revenues  were  being  regularly  received  by  the  priests  and  large 
respectable  classes  of  disciples  greeted  the  rabbis.  What  did  the 
words  reveal  as  Jesus'  ideal  for  the  life  of  the  city.?  If  He  could 
have  come  into  the  city,  and  could  have  had  His  way  with  it,  what 
changes  would  He  have  made  in  its  life .'' 

Personal  Thought :  "  If  thou  hadst  known  in  this  day,  even  thou, 
the  things  which  belong  unto  peace!"  The  days  go  prosperously  by, 
but  are  the  foundations  of  an  everlasting  peace  being  laid  in  your 
life .?  Do  you  see  the  significance  of  these  quiet  college  days  in  which 
the  Spirit  of  Jesus  Christ  stands  over  against  you  waiting  to  be  recog- 
nized as  the  Lord  of  your  life .?  Do  you  recognize  your  days  of 
visitation  ? 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       149 


Study  XVIIL— Cf)e  last  Wetk  in  ferusalcm 

Third  Day:  The  Expulsion  of  the  Bazaar  Men  from  the  Tem- 
ple.    Mark  11:15-19;  Matt.  21:12-17;  Luke  19:45-48 

I.  Much  to  the  relief  of  the  priests  and  rabbis,  the, Prophet  had 
taken  no  decisive  step  when  the  enthusiastic  procession  paraded  the 
streets  and  temple  courts.  But  on  the  next  day  He  did  something 
that  made  them  apprehensive.  At  the  Passover  season,  w^hen  the 
Jews  came  to  Jehovah's  courts  from  all  over  the  world,  the  business 
of  the  city  greatly  increased.  Great  numbers  of  birds,  sheep,  and 
oxen  were  required  for  sacrifices,  and  the  coins  of  many  nations  had 
to  be  exchanged  for  money  current  in  Jerusalem.  The  priests  allowed 
bazaars  to  be  opened  in  the  great  temple  courts.  Very  probably  they 
were  financially  interested  in  them.  As  a  result,  the  devout  pilgrim 
Jews,  who  came  from  many  nations  to  pray  quietly  in  Jehovah's  house 
found  the  air  filled  with  the  excited  cries  incident  to  oriental  barter. 
These  bazaars  were  probably  in  the  "court  of  the  Gentiles."  Gen- 
tile worshippers  who  came  long  distances  to  pray  would  find  Jews 
quarreling  over  a  few  coins.  Moreover,  these  temple  bazaars  had 
evidently  become  infamous  because  of  the  rapacity  of  the  traders. 
The  traders  fleeced  the  country  people  unmercifully.  The  Nazareth 
neighbors  brought  back  reports  of  outrageous  treatment  at  their  hands 
year  by  year.  The  temple  hill  had  become  a  veritable  den  of  brigands. 
Read  Mark  II :  15-19.  Why  did  the  traders  yield  to  Jesus  and  leave  .? 
It  had  evidently  been  customary  to  take  a  short-cut  across  the  temple 
area  (v.  16).  Why  did  Jesus  put  a  stop  to  this  ^  How  could  He 
enforce  His  ideas  ?  The  Synoptic  Gospels  give  veiy  few  explicit  state- 
ments regarding  dates.  V.  12  states  that  this  expulsion  of  the  bazaar 
men  occurred  on  the  "morrow"  after  the  Messianic  entry.  John 
12:1,  12  makes  it  at  least  probable  that  the  Messianic  entry  occurred 
on  our  Sunday,  and  the  expulsion  of  the  bazaar  men  on  Monday. 
The  significance  of  vv.  13-14  will  be  considered    later. 

2.  Read  Matt.  21 :  12-17.  Picture  the  scene  described  in  w.  14-16. 
What  is  there  characteristic  of  Matthew  in  the  striking  contrast  pre- 
sented in  vv.  14-15  ?     What  in  v.  16  } 

3.  Read  Luke  19:45-48.  Does  it  present  the  situation  as  con- 
cretely and  vividly  as  Mark .? 

Personal  Thought:  "My  house  shall  be  a  house  of  prayer  for  all 
nations."  In  God's  national  ideal  there  stood  at  the  nation's  center 
a  prayer-house.     Is  prayer  the  central  feature  of  your  life .? 


150       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XVIII.— Cj)e  iafit  Wtek  in  '^tvuSBltm 

Fourth   Day:  An  Illustration   of  the   Power  of  Faith  in  God. 
Mark  11 :  20-25  ;  Matt.  21 :  18-22 

On  the  way  in  from  Bethany  Monday  morning  Jesus  was  hungry, 
and  seeing  a  fig-tree  in  the  distance  the  leaves  of  which  indicated  an 
unusually  early  maturity,  He  went  over  to  it  for  figs,  but  found  none 
and  addressed  certain  solemn  words  to  it.  Read  Mark  11:12-14. 
It  is  sometimes  argued  that  His  hunger  is  evidence  that  He  had  spent 
the  night  in  prayer,  and  not  in  the  house  of  his  friends.  Consider 
how  important  the  events  of  the  preceding  day  had  been.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary to  suppose  that  Jesus  addressed  the  fig-tree  in  anger.  Prophets 
often  did  things  that  were  symbolical  (cf.  Ezek.  4:1-3),  and  it  became 
evident  on  the  next  morning  (Tuesday)  on  the  way  in  from  Bethany 
that  Jesus  had  wished  to  do  something  impressively  symbolical  in 
this  act.  Read  Mark  11:20-25  and  compare  the  slightly  different 
representation  in  Matt.  21:18-22.  What  did  Jesus  use  the  fig-tree 
incident  to  teach  ?  It  is  often  said  that  the  leafy,  fruitless  fig-tree 
was  symbolical  of  the  nation,  luxuriant  in  religious  ceremonialism,  but 
barren  of  righteousness.  Is  there  any  hint  of  this  in  Jesus'  remarks  .'' 
Remember  what  means  the  disciples  probably  expected  Jesus  to  use 
in  order  to  establish  His  Kingdom.  They  were  looking  forward  to 
high  political  offices  as  the  means  of  achievement  (cf.  Mark  10:35- 
^j).  They  had  taken  great  satisfaction  in  the  multitude  that  had 
brought  Him  into  the  city.  On  what,  then,  according  to  His  teaching 
here  were  they  chiefly  to  rely  in  establishing  the  New  Order.?  Per- 
haps there  comes  to  the  surface  here  something  of  the  conflict  that 
may  have  been  going  on  in  Jesus'  own  personal  experience.  The 
force  of  V.  23  is  this:  "Through  the  prayer  of  faith  in  God  it  is  pos- 
sible not  merely  to  wither  this  fig-tree  on  the  slope  of  the  Mount  of 
Olives,  but  even  to  pluck  up  the  mountain  itself  and  hurl  it  into  the 
Mediterranean."  It  is  evidently  an  impressive  oriental  way  of  say- 
ing that  things  apparently  impossible  can  be  done  by  God  in  re- 
sponse to  prayer.  Does  this  mean  that  everything  will  happen  that 
a  man  can  succeed  in  making  himself  believe  vpill  happen  f  How 
can  a  man  make  himself  believe  that  anything  he  asks  for  will  happen  ? 
Compare  the  following,  verse  by  verse,  with  the  context: 

"Therefore  the  thing  to  do  is  to  live  in  such  close  spiritual  rela- 
tion to  God  as  will  enable  you  to  want  what  He  wants,  and  when  you 
ask  Him  for  a  thing  to  be  sure  that  He  has  at  once  granted  it,  and 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       151 


that  you  have  already  virtually  received  it.  Then  it  will  come  to 
pass  (v.  24).  But  in  order  to  obtain  such  close  relationship  and 
spiritual  sympathy  with  God  as  will  enable  you  to  pray  with  confi- 
dence, you  must  have  perfect  love  in  your  hearts,  even  towards  those 
who  have  injured  you.  There  has  been  some  hard  feeling  among 
you  lately  (cf.  Mark  10:41).  Do  not  think  that  God,  who  is  Him- 
self perfect  love,  can  forgive  your  sins  and  admit  you  into  this  close 
relationship  to  Himself  while  you  have  an  unforgiving  spirit  in  your 
hearts  (v.  25)." 

The  compact  statement  made  in  these  verses  seems  to  imply  and 
rest  upon  certain  unexpressed  general  principles:  (l)  Prayer  must 
be  offered  with  regard  for  the  good  of  all  concerned.  There  can 
be  no  selfish  prayer.  (2)  It  is  only  a  soul  which  lives  in  intimate 
communion  with  God  that  can  know  what  appears  to  God  to  be 
best.  "We  know  not  what  we  should  pray  for  as  we  ought,  but 
the  Spirit  helpeth  our  infirmities."  (3)  The  condition  of  this  com- 
munion with  God  and  enlightenment  from  His  Spirit  is  a  heart  of 
good-will.  (4)  Our  duty,  therefore,  is  to  cultivate  this  heart  of  good- 
will, and  its  consequent  intimate  relationship  with  Him,  and  to  watch 
for  the  suggestions  of  His  Spirit  as  to  what  we  shall  pray  for.  (5) 
In  the  meantime,  we  submissively  and  increasingly  make  all  our  wants 
and  desires  known  to  Him,  even  though  we  cannot  yet  pray,  with  the 
confidence  here  described,  for  the  granting  of  any  one  of  them.  (6) 
God  often  waits  for  His  children  to  act  upon  these  suggestions  of  the 
Spirit  and  pray  before  He  does  things,  because  a  great  principle  of 
His  dealing  with  men  is  that  they  shall  be  developed  by  sharing  with 
Him  in  all  possible  ways  His  achievement  of  good  results.  By  such 
prayer  men  do  share  the  desires  and  purposes  and  achievements  of 
God.  He  therefore  incites,  and  sometimes,  though  not  always,  waits, 
for  such  prayer  before  He  acts. 


152       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XVIII.— CI)e  last  Wtti.  in  ^rrufialm 

Fifth  Day:  Jesus'  Replies  When  Informally  Called  to  Account 
by  the  Priests  and  Rabbis.  Mark  11:27-12:12;  Matt.  21 :  23-27, 
33-46;  Luke  20:1-19 

1.  We  can  scarcely  imagine  what  consternation  was  produced 
among  the  priests  and  rabbis  by  the  vigorous  action  of  jesus  on  Monday 
morning.  Read  Mark  11:27-33  for  a  hint  of  it.  Who  are  the  par- 
ties that  face  Him  in  the  temple  colonnade,  and  what  is  their  authority 
(v.  27)?  Cf.  14:53  and  15:1  in  order  to  ascertain.  Of  what  do 
they  complain  .''  That  is,  what  do  they  refer  to  as  "these  things" 
(v.  28)  ?  Remember  that  the  priests  are  the  natural  custodians  of 
the  temple.  What  reply  had  they  expected,  and  what  course  of  ac- 
tion had  they  probably  laid  out .''  Why  does  Jesus  not  answer  their 
question  directly  ?  Instead  of  doing  so  He  asks  a  question  that  seems 
at  first  thought  irrelevant.  It  really,  however,  raises  the  great  ques- 
tion that  is  agitating  the  nation;  it  asks  them  their  opinion  of  Himself. 
He  and  John  the  Baptist  were  closely  identified.  John  the  Baptist 
had  endorsed  Jesus  as  a  great  prophet,  and  no  one  could  sanction  or 
repudiate  John  without  sanctioning  or  repudiating  Jesus. 

2.  Jesus,  however,  did  not  stop  with  this.  Read  the  parable  in 
Mark  12:1-12  in  which  He  proceeded  to  give  them  a  veiled,  though 
exceedingly  suggestive  answer  to  their  question.  The  parable  de- 
scribed a  vineyard,  and  that  fact  was  one  of  great  significance  to  them 
for  this  was  a  familiar  figure  of  the  prophets.  (Cf.  Ps.  80:8  fF.;  Is. 
5:2  ff.;  Jer.  2:21).  The  vineyard  was  thoroughly  equipped  with  a 
hedge,  a  wine  press,  a  wine  cistern  under  the  press,  and  a  watch  tower. 
What  answer  does  the  parable  suggest  to  the  question  in  1 1 :  28  .? 
What  is  its  warning.''  In  vv.  lo-ii  He  turns  directly  upon  them  with 
a  quotation  from  Ps.  118:22  and  charges  them  with  being  hke  stupid 
builders  who  have  not  sense  enough  to  recognize  the  stone  which  the 
architect  has  chosen  for  the  great  corner-stone. 

3.  Glance  at  the  parallel  to  this  parable  in  Matt.  21:33-43  and 
note  any  peculiar  characteristics  of  Matthew. 

Personal  Thought :  "This  was  from  the  Lord."  It  is  certain  that 
Jesus  Christ  will  one  day  dominate  human  society.  God  has  willed 
it.  Men  may  ignore  Him  or  oppose  Him,  but  it  will  make  no  differ- 
ence with  the  final  result.  In  the  details  of  Christian  living  we  need 
a  strong  sense  of  being  connected  with  a  great  and  vpinning  cause. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       153 


Study  XVIIL— Cf)e  last  Wtt^  tn  2rertt£(alem 

Sixth  Day:  Jesus'  Replies  "When  Informally  Called  to  Account 
by  the  Priests  and  Rabbis  (concluded).  Matt.  21:28-32,  22: 
1-14 

1.  Matthew  gives  a  more  extended  account  of  Jesus'  reply  to  the 
informal  inquiry  made  by  the  representatives  of  the  Sanhedrin.  It 
is  in  harmony  with  the  spirit  of  his  Gospel  to  make  the  most  of  Jesus' 
denunciation  of  the  Jewish  leaders.  Read  Matt.  21:28-32.  What 
is  the  point  of  this  story  ?  What  would  these  rabbis  have  said  about 
John  the  Baptist  if  they  had  been  asked  for  an  opinion  regarding  him  ? 

2.  Read  Matt.  22:1-14.  It  is  a  double  parable,  vv.  11-14  con- 
stituting a  separate  part.  Considering  Jesus  to  be  still  facing  the 
committee  of  inquiry  appointed  by  the  Sanhedrin,  what  is  the  point 
of  the  story  in  vv.  i-io  ?  Who  is  the  king  ?  The  king's  son  ?  Who 
are  those  who  were  first  invited  ?  Those  from  the  highways  ?  As 
you  answer  these  questions  imagine  yourself  to  be  one  of  the  Sanhe- 
drin delegation. 

Vv.  1 1-14  supply  a  corrective  to  one  who  might  infer  from  the  preced- 
ing statements  that  no  moral  preparation  whatever  is  necessary  for  the 
New  Order.  It  was  perfectly  possible  to  have  made  the  necessary 
preparation,  as  the  last  clause  in  v.  12  shows.  "The  outer  darkness" 
was  apparently  a  phrase  used  commonly  to  designate  the  abode  of 
the  wicked.  The  Messianic  banquet  was  brilliantly  hghted;  with- 
out was  darkness.  What  does  the  wedding  garment  represent  ?  That 
is,  what  does  Jesus  teach  constitutes  readiness  for  the  New  Order  ? 
To  determine  this,  remember  what  has  been  said  by  Jesus  during 
the  long  period  of  teaching  preceding  this  last  week  in  Jerusalem. 
Why  are  few  chosen  (v.  14)  ? 

Personal  Thought:  "They  made  light  of  it  and  went  their  ways." 
The  invitation  did  not  seem  to  them  to  be  a  matter  of  great  impor- 
tance. God's  invitation  into  His  eternal  Kingdom  is  issued.  The 
problem  before  the  disciples  of  Jesus  Christ  is  in  some  way  to  make 
men  see  that  this  invitation  is  real  and  serious;  that  a  man  must  not 
"go  his  way"  as  though  he  had  not  been  invited  by  the  living  God. 
Is  the  atmosphere  of  your  life  so  charged  with  the  sense  of  the  reality  of 
such  an  invitation  as  to  make  an  impression  upon  those  who  have  to 
do  with  you  ? 


154       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XVIII.— QTbe  last  Wttk  in  STemBalem 

Seventh  Day:  The  Plot  of  the  Rabbis  and  the  Herodians.    Mark 
12:13-17;  Matt.  22:15-22;  Ltike  20:20-26 

1.  The  feeling  against  Jesus  among  the  priests  and  rabbis  was  ex- 
ceedingly bitter.  Many  informal  secret  meetings  were  doubtless  held, 
and  various  plots  were  laid  to  make  Jesus  take  some  misstep  that 
should  destroy  or  diminish  His  popularity.  The  first  attempt  was 
made  by  a  committee  composed  of  Pharisaic  rabbis  and  Herodians. 
Remember  that  once  before  the  Pharisees  had  endeavored  to  enlist 
the  Herod  party  against  Jesus  (Mark  3:6).  Herod  had  no  jurisdic- 
don  here  in  Jerusalem,  but  Jesus  Himself  was  a  Galilean,  and  the 
Sanhedrin  would  have  been  glad  to  involve  Jesus  in  some  trouble 
with  Herod.  The  Galileans  were,  as  we  have  seen,  a  high-spirited 
people  whose  interest  in  the  Messianic  Kingdom  was  largely  due  to 
their  expectation  that  under  the  new  Kingdom  Roman  rule  and  its 
humiliating  taxation  would  be  forevermore  a  thing  of  the  past. 
But  Herod  and  his  party  favored  Roman  rule.  Bear  this  general 
situation  in  mind,  and  remember  that  now  Jerusalem  and  its 
suburbs  were  filled  with  hundreds  of  thousands  of  devout  Jews  from 
all  over  the  empire,  in  addition  to  the  permanent  population  of  the 
city.  The  Roman  procurator  was  there  with  a  special  detachment 
of  troops  in  the  barracks,  waiting  for  an  outbreak  such  as  was  always 
likely  to  occur  in  connection  with  these  sacred  feasts.  Now  read 
Mark  12:13-17.  Why  did  they  think  that  the  question  in  w.  14-15 
would  be  an  awkward  question  for  Jesus  to  answer  ?  What  would 
they  have  done  with  His  reply  if  He  had  said  "Yes"  ?  What  if  He 
had  said  "No".?  In  what  did  their  hypocrisy  consist?  How  did 
Jesus  avoid  the  dilemma  ^  That  is,  what  was  the  meaning  of  His 
reply  ?  Did  He  believe  in  paying  the  humiliating  Roman  poll-tax  ? 
The  reply  certainly  advocated  a  better  obedience  to  God  as  an  im- 
mediate duty  of  the  nation.  Many  of  the  rabbis  felt  this.  In  the 
Talmud  they  are  represented  as  saying  that  if  Israel  would  only  keep 
one  Sabbath  as  it  ought  to  be  kept,  the  Kingdom  would  come. 

2.  Read  Matt.  22:15-22  and  see  whether  it  adds  anything.  Read 
also  Luke  20:  20-26.  See  how  Luke  in  v.  20  (cf.  Mark  12:13)  adapts 
his  presentation  of  the  situation  to  his  non-Jewish  readers. 

Personal  Thought:  Are  you  in  the  habit  of  considering  your  duty 
as  a  citizen  a  part  of  your  duty  to  God .''  To  be  negligent  in  the 
discharge  of  civic  responsibility,  is  to  be  at  fault  as  a  Christian. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       155 


Study  XIX.— Cl)e  Lagt  Wttli  in  '^tVnSKhm  {Continued) 

First  Day:   The  Plot  of  the  Sadducees.     Mark  12:18-27;  Matt. 
22 : 23-33  ;  Luke  20 : 27-39 

1.  The  Sadducees  were  the  logical  descendants  of  those  who  in 
the  great  conflict  two  centuries  before  had  been  willing  to  adopt  Greek 
civilization.  The  Pharisees  were  the  logical  descendants  of  those 
who  had  stood  for  the  old  Hebrew  faith  and  customs.  The  Saddu- 
cees of  Jesus'  time  were  still  the  liberals.  They  did  not  believe  in 
existence  after  death  (Acts  23  :  8).  Their  significance  in  the  time  of 
Jesus  was  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  the  family  which  furnished  the 
high  priests  had  for  some  time  been  a  Sadducean  family  (Acts  5:17). 
A  delegation  of  Sadducees  now  appears  and  presents  to  Jesus  a  su{>- 
positional  case  which  was  probably  frequently  used  by  them  in  their 
discussions.  It  seemed  to  them  that  they  proved  their  point  by  a 
reductio  ad  ahsurdum  :  obedience  to  Moses'  law  would  result  in  a  grossly 
immoral  polyandrous  civilization  if  there  were  continued  existence 
after  death!  Read  Mark  12 :  18-27.  I"  v.  24  what  are  the  two  criti- 
cisms that  Jesus  makes  upon  their  argument .?  He  amplifies  the 
second  of  the  two  in  v.  25.  How  does  the  situation  described  in  v. 
25  show  the  underestimated  power  of  God  }  The  first  of  the  two 
criticisms  is  amplified  in  w.  26-27.  The  "bush  passage"  is  Ex.  3:  6. 
What  is  Jesus'  argument  from  it  ?  That  is,  how  does  Jesus  prove  ex- 
istence after  death  ?  The  argument  is  evidently  not  in  the  use  of  the 
present  tense  "am,"  for  this  verb,  as  is  indicated  by  the  italics,  does 
not  occur  in  the  original.  The  argument  as  stated  in  v.  28  might  be 
translated  :  "  He  is  not  a  God  of  dead  persons,  but  of  living  persons." 
State  the  argument  m  your  own  words. 

It  is  assumed  by  Jesus  that  to  prove  continued  existence  after  death 
is  equivalent  to  proving  the  resurrection.  Perhaps  the  assumption 
is  that  if  persons  exist  at  all  they  will  surely  exist  in  some  more  glori- 
ous form,  namely,  in  the  more  glorious  resurrection  body. 

2.  Glance  at  Matt.  22 :  23-33,  and  read  carefully  Luke  20 :  27-39. 
Notice  Luke's  ampler  explanation  for  his  hearers  in  vv.  34-36,  38. 

Personal  Thought:  Friendship  vnth  God  is  so  profound  a  reality 
that  death  cannot  destroy  it.  He  would  be  a  cheap  God  whose 
friendship  could  be  forever  terminated  by  a  bullet  crashing  through 
the  brain,  or  by  a  microbe  in  the  system.  Think  to-day  of  the 
eternal  character  of  your  relation  to  God. 


156       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XIX.— ^^t  last  Wctk  in  Scrusalcm  (Continued) 

Second  Day:  The  Rabbi's  Question;  Jesus'  Attack  upon  the  Rab- 
bis.    Mark  12:28-37;  Matt.  22:34-46;  Luke  20:41-44 

1.  After  Jesus  had  disposed  of  the  Pharisees,  Herodians  and  Sad- 
ducees,  a  rabbi  standing  by  undertook  to  test  His  skill  as  a  teacher 
by  asking  Him  a  fundamental  question,  to  answer  which  would  require 
rabbinical  acumen.  The  rabbi  seems  to  have  been  more  free  from 
prejudice  than  most  of  his  class.  Read  Mark  12:  28-34.  Compare 
Deut.  6:4  and  Lev.  19:  18.  Read  also  Matt.  22:34-40.  In  what 
respect  is  the  second  commandment  "like"  the  first  (v.  39)  ? 

2.  Jesus  now  attacks  the  rabbis  upon  their  own  ground.  He  has 
answered  their  test  questions,  and  they  must  now  answer  His.  His 
first  question  exposes  the  inadequacy  and  confusion  of  their  Messi- 
anic conception.  It  is  Matthew,  with  his  usual  tendency  to  denounce 
the  rabbis,  who  this  time  outlines  the  situation  more  sharply  than 
does  Mark.  Read  Mark  12:35-37;  Matt.  22:41-46  and  Luke  20: 
41-44.  In  the  current  interpretation  of  Ps.  no,  David  was  under- 
stood to  say  that  the  Lord  Jehovah  said  to  his  (David's)  Lord,  namely, 
the  Messiah,  "Sit  thou  on  my  right  hand,"  etc.  The  question  seems 
to  have  been  this :  How  could  great  David  call  one  of  his  own 
descendants  by  so  exalted  a  title  as  Lord  ?  What  is  your  answer 
to  the  question  ?  Why  could  the  rabbis  not  answer  it .?  We  do  not 
appreciate  the  great  intensity  with  which  these  rabbinical  questions 
were  discussed,  nor  the  extreme  disgrace  attached  to  incompetence  in 
their  discussion. 

3.  After  Jesus'  question  had  so  surprisingly  exposed  the  incom- 
petence of  the  rabbis,  He  took  them  up  in  His  public  "teaching,"  or 
lecturing,  and  unsparingly  pointed  out  their  defects.  Read  Mark 
12:38-40.  The  "devouring  of  widows'  houses"  may  refer  to  the 
gifts  which  the  rabbis  encouraged  susceptible  women  to  make,  or 
possibly  to  the  rapacity  of  the  money  lenders.  In  popular  estima- 
tion, this  "condemnation"  would  occur  at  the  Messianic  judgment 
which  in  the  expectation  of  Jesus'  disciples  was  so  near. 

Personal  Thought:  The  love  of  being  prominent  in  religious  ac- 
tivity ;  the  haste  to  see  whether  the  newspapers  have  noticed  our  con- 
nection with  an  occasion — these  are  the  traits  which  weak,  foolish 
human  nature  needs  to  guard  against,  and  they  can  be  overcome 
only  by  a  deepening  sense  of  the  reality  and  presence  of  God. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       157 


Study  XIX.— CI)e  laeit  Wttk  in  Sf^tttfialem  (Continued) 

Third  Day  :  Jesus*  Attack  upon  the  Rabbis  (concluded).    Matt.  23 

In  Matthew,  as  we  should  expect,  there  appears  a  much  longer 
report  of  Jesus'  attack  upon  the  rabbis.  It  may  be  that  Matthew 
has  collected  here  things  logically  related,  though  spoken  on  differ- 
ent occasions.  First  of  all,  read  Matt.  23  entirely  through,  bearing 
in  mind  the  critical  character  of  the  occasion  and  reading  the  words 
as  though  for  the  first  time.  As  you  do  this  make  a  list  in  your  own 
language  of  the  defects  pointed  out  by  Jesus.  What  is  a  "hypocrite"  ? 
The  "phylacteries"  (v.  5)  were  prayer  straps,  little  leather  cases 
strapped  on  the  arm  or  forehead  containing  pieces  of  parchment  on 
which  were  written  Ex.  13:2-10,  11-17;  Deut.  6:4-9,  11  :  13-22. 
They  were  called  "phylacteries"  probably  because  they  were  thought 
to  protect  as  amulets  against  evil  influences. 

V.  13  refers  to  the  hard  and  artificial  conditions  imposed  by  the 
rabbis  upon  those  who  would  secure  entrance  into  the  Kingdom. 

V.  15  implies  considerable  missionary  activity  on  the  part  of  the 
rabbis  among  the  foreigners. 

Vv.  16-22  allude  to  the  foolish  and  minute  distinctions  regarding 
oaths. 

Tombs  were  whitewashed  so  that  they  might  be  readily  seen,  es- 
pecially at  night,  and  the  ceremonial  contamination  contracted  by 
touching  them  be  avoided  (v.  27). 

Mint,  anise,  and  cummin  (v.  23)  were  among  the  smallest  of  the 
garden  products. 

The  rabbis  admitted  that  they  came  of  murderous  stock,  and  they 
certainly  inherited  the  same  venomous  disposition  that  characterized 
their  ancestors  (w.  31  AT.).  According  to  Matthew's  Gospel,  Jesus 
left  the  temple  hill  on  this  Tuesday  evening  with  the  impressive  words 
in  w.  37-39. 

Personal  Thought:  "Ye  tithe  mint,  and  anise,  and  cummin,  and 
have  left  undone  the  weightier  matters  of  the  law,  justice,  and  mercy, 
and  faith."  We  need  constantly  to  guard  against  making  some 
minor  point  of  morals  a  test  of  character  rather  than  points  of  funda- 
mental importance.  It  is  not  that  we  are  too  particular  about  the 
small  point,  but  that  we  are  so  satisfied  with  our  scrupulousness  in 
the  small  matter  that  we  forget  to  notice  the  unfairness  of  our  judg- 
ments of  others,  our  hard  feeling  toward  those  who  injure  us,  and 
our  insulting  lack  of  confidence  in  God. 


158       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XIX.— Cl)e  last  Wttk  in  STcrufialem  (Continued) 

Fourth  Day:  The  Generous  Widow;  the  Time  of  the  Messianic 
Demonstration.     Mark  12:41-13:37;  Matt.  24-25;  Luke  21: 1-36 

1.  After  the  exciting  discussions  of  Tuesday  were  over,  Jesus  sat 
resting  and  watching  the  people  bring  their  gifts.  He  listened  to  the 
clinking  of  the  coins  in  the  great  receptacle.  Many  of  the  givers  were 
wealthy  men  with  large  donations,  but  none  of  them  affected  Jesus 
as  did  one  poor  woman  whose  dress  showed  her  to  be  a  widow,  and 
whose  offering  was  so  pitifully  small  that  it  seemed  not  worth  her 
while  to  have  brought  it.  Read  Mark  12:41-44.  Is  there  anything 
in  the  preceding  context  (vv.  38-40)  suggestive  of  widows  ?  What 
did  Jesus  represent  to  be  the  true  standard  of  benevolence  ?  Did 
His  disciples  (v.  43)  particularly  need  to  hear  what  Jesus  had  to  say 
on  this  subject  ? 

2.  When  they  finally  started  for  Bethany,  and  were  passing  through 
one  of  the  great  exits  of  the  temple  courts,  some  of  His  Galilean  dis- 
ciples, not  accustomed  to  the  grandeur  by  constant  residence  in  Jeru- 
salem, broke  out  into  admiring  exclamations  over  the  size  of  the  stones 
and  the  beauty  of  the  buildings  in  the  temple  enclosure.  This  led 
Jesus  to  make  an  astounding  statement.  A  few  minutes  later,  when 
they  had  crossed  the  Kidron  valley  and  had  climbed  the  hill,  four 
of  the  Twelve  dropped  behind  the  rest,  and  sitting  down  with  Jesus 
at  a  place  where  they  could  look  directly  across  the  valley  to  the 
temple  enclosure  on  the  other  side,  pressed  Him  for  an  explanation 
of  His  startling  statement.  Read  the  vivid  account  of  this  in  Mark 
13:  1-4;  also  read  the  less  vivid  parallels  in  Matt.  24:  1-3  and  Luke 
21:5-7.  Read  all  of  Mark  13  quickly  through  for  first  impressions 
and  in  preparation  for  further  study  to-morrow. 

Personal  Thought:  "He  beheld  how  the  multitude  cast  money 
into  the  treasury"  (12:41).  We  need  when  giving  to  be  conscious 
that  our  Lord's  eye  is  upon  us,  not  viewing  our  gifts  severely  or  criti- 
cally, but  with  careful  and  just  discrimination.  We  need  therefore 
to  ask  ourselves  regarding  all  our  gifts :  Should  I  give  this  amount 
tc  this  object  if  Jesus  Himself  were  visibly  present  to  witness  the 
gift  ?  We  should  not  throw  into  the  contribution  box  the  smallest 
coin  we  have  in  our  pockets  if  the  box  were  in  His  hand.  Some  con- 
tribution boxes  perhaps  He  would  not  consent  to  offer. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       159 


Study  XlX.—El)t  ILaSt  Wttii  in  ^tXViS^lm  {Continued) 

Fifth  Day:  The  Time  of  the  Messianic  Demonstration  (continued). 
Mark  13;  Matt.  24-25;  Luke  21:5-36 

I.  Read  again  Mark  13:  1-4  and  Matt.  24:  1-3.  Before  studying 
Jesus'  famous  reply  to  the  questions  of  the  four  disciples,  it  is  necessary 
to  realize  the  standpoint  from  which  they  asked  the  questions.  Our 
first  inquiry  must  always  be:  What  thought  were  these  words  in- 
tended to  convey  to  those  who  first  heard  them  ?  The  four  men  be- 
lieved Jesus  to  be  the  Messiah;  they  did  not  expect  Him  to  die;  they 
believed  that  when  He  chose  to  make  His  public  Messianic  demon- 
stration He  would  first  of  all  hold  a  Messianic  judgment.  This  judg- 
ment would  terminate  the  present  age  and  introduce  the  Messianic 
Kingdom  of  God,  the  age  to  come.  Jesus  had  seemed  to  imply  that 
in,  or  before,  this  judgment  the  beautiful,  sacred  temple  would  be 
utterly  destroyed  !  He  had  always  been  very  reticent  about  discussing 
the  time  of  His  Messianic  demonstration.  Indeed,  He  seems  seldom 
to  have  discussed  the  question  of  His  Messiahship  at  all.  It  was, 
therefore,  a  somewhat  bold  thing  which  these  four  leaders  did  when 
they  questioned  Jesus  regarding  the  matter.  They  seemed  to  feel 
that  He  had  decided  not  to  make  a  Messianic  demonstration  at  pres- 
ent. Perhaps  the  parable  in  Luke  19:  11-28  is  suggestive  of  more 
that  was  said  by  Him  relative  to  the  delay  of  the  demonstration.  His 
lament  over  Jerusalem  (Luke  19:41-44),  in  which  He  predicted  that 
the  city  would  be  besieged,  and  the  remark  He  had  just  made  about 
the  destruction  of  the  temple,  seemed  to  necessitate  the  assumption 
that  He  would  not  now  make  the  long  deferred  demonstration. 
Perhaps  they  inferred  from  His  repeated  predictions  of  death  and 
resurrection  that  He  would  disappear  for  a  time  and  reappear  sud- 
denly in  decisive  Messianic  glory. 

The  question  as  reported  in  Mark  simply  asks  when  the  temple  will 
be  destroyed,  but  that  this  destruction  of  the  temple  is  regarded 
as  closely  connected  with  the  Messianic  demonstration  which  will 
end  the  age,  is  evident  from  the  way  in  which  Jesus  replies.  In 
Matthew  (24:3)  three  things  are  distinctly  connected:  the  destruction 
of  the  temple,  the  Messianic  demonstration,  and  the  consummation 
of  the  age.  The  disciples  would  not  necessarily  have  thought  that 
the  destruction  of  the  temple  would  be  a  part  of  the  Messianic  de- 
monstration, but  they  would  naturally  have  thought  that  the  demon- 
stration and  the  end  of  the  age  would  be  the  same.     The   discourse 


i6o       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


of  Jesus  made  it  evident  to  the  disciples  that  the  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem would  occur  in  the  near  future.  Read  Mark  13:30.  Jesus 
left  it  uncertain  whether  or  not  much  time  would  elapse  between  the 
destruction  of  the  city  and  the  Messianic  demonstration  that  would 
close  the  age.  The  word  "immediately"  in  Matt.  24:  29  seems  nat- 
urally to  indicate  a  short  time.  Mark  13 :  24  is  not  so  explicit.  Luke 
21  :  24  suggests  the  idea  which  we  find  in  Paul's  letter  to  the  Romans, 
chap.  II,  which  implies  a  period  of  considerable  length,  though  not 
necessarily  longer  than  one  generation,  for  Paul  felt  that  the  demon- 
stration might  occur  in  his  own  day.  There  were  confusion  and  un- 
certainty for  some  decades  in  the  minds  of  the  early  Christians  on  this 
point.  The  general  impression  among  them  seems  to  have  been  that 
the  final  demonstration  would  occur  in  their  own  generation.  The 
fact  seems  to  be  that  in  this  conversation  on  the  Mount  of  Olives 
Jesus  indicated  that  an  interval  would  elapse  between  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  city  and  the  Messianic  demonstration,  but  did  not  give  the 
length  of  the  interval,  and  the  disciples  naturally,  though  wrongly, 
as  the  event  has  shown,  thought  of  it  as  a  very  short  one.  Such  mis- 
apprehension on  their  part  is  not  strange.  This  was  a  subject  on 
which  God  did  not  choose  to  enlighten  them.  Jesus  Himself  in  Acts 
1 : 6-7  is  reported  to  have  told  them  distinctly  that  this  was  a  subject 
regarding  which  they  need  not  expect  to  be  enlightened. 

2.  Read  once  more  Mark  13 :  5-37,  and  answer  this  question :  What 
are  the  main  purposes  of  the  discourse .?  That  is.  what  did  Jesus 
intend  to  accomplish  by  it .?  You  will  be  helped  to  answer  this 
question  by  summing  up  in  a  single  sentence  each,  the  thought  of 
the  five  paragraphs  into  which  the  discourse  breaks  up:  5-8,  9-13,  14- 
23,  24-27,  28-37. 

Personal  Thought:  In  so  vast  an  enterprise  as  the  development 
of  an  ideal  human  civilization  that  shall  include  what  we  are  accus- 
tomed to  call  the  "dead"  as  well  as  the  "living,"  sudden  and  sig- 
nificant crises  may  be  expected  as  well  as  slow  growth.  The  human 
mind  needs  the  spur  of  great  expectations  like  those  that  are  aroused 
by  this  discourse  of  Jesus.  At  the  same  time,  it  needs  to  keep  the 
emphasis  steadily  where  Jesus  so  decisively  puts  it,  namely,  on  the 
importance  of  preparing  now  for  a  future  emergency.  Great  demon- 
strations of  the  power  of  Jesus  surely  await  us  somewhere  and  some- 
time, and  it  is  incumbent  on  us  to  be  ready  for  them. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       i6i 


Study  XIX.— CI)e  last  Wttk  in  STerufifalem  {Continued) 

Sixth  Day:  The  Time  of  the  Messianic  Demonstration  (continued). 
Mark  13;  Matt.  24-25;  Luke  21:5-36 

Vv.  5-8  contain  a  warning  against  being  deceived  and  led  to 
follow  false  Christs.  This  paragraph  assumes  that  Jesus  will  have  dis- 
appeared. This  assumption  must  have  been  perplexing  to  the  four 
men  on  the  hillside.  Of  course,  later,  after  Jesus'  death,  resurrec- 
tion, and  disappearance  into  the  heavens,  they  understood  these  things 
that  perplexed  them  so  at  the  moment.  Doubtless  this  report  of  the 
conversation  is  much  condensed,  and  is  made  from  the  standpoint 
of  their  later  and  better  understanding  of  its  meaning.  "Beware 
lest  anyone  deceive  you  by  making  you  believe  that  he  is  the  Christ 
come  to  execute  judgment  upon  the  nation"  (vv.  5-6).  Does  this 
imply  that  He  may  be  expected  to  appear  in  a  form  that  His  old  dis- 
ciples may  not  recognize  ?  Or  that  they  will  have  abandoned  the 
theory  that  Jesus  is  the  Messiah  and  be  ready  to  look  for  another  ? 
"You  will  hear  of  many  wars  and  rumors  of  wars,  which  will  seem 
to  you  likely  to  bring  armies  through  Palestine  to  destroy  Jerusalem, 
but  such  will  not  be  their  result  and  they  will  not  indicate  the  end  of 
the  age.  You  will  also  hear  of  earthquakes  and  famines  over  the 
world  such  as  might  overthrow  the  city  and  destroy  its  inhabitants, 
and  such  might  seem  to  indicate  the  catastrophe  which  ends  the  age. 
These  are  only  the  beginnings  of  birth  pangs  preliminary  to  more 
serious  suffering  which  will  result  in  the  birth  of  the  Kingdom"  (w. 
7-8).     Compare  Matt.  24:  4-8  and  Luke  21  :  8-10. 

Vv.  9-13  contain  a  warning  against  becoming  discouraged  because 
of  the  persecutions  that  are  to  precede  the  catastrophe.  "You  will 
be  called  to  account  not  only  before  the  local  sanhedrins  of  all  the 
villages  and  be  sentenced  by  them  to  beatings  in  the  synagogues,  but 
you  will  even  be  called  to  account  by  rulers  and  kings  among  the 
Gentiles  and  will  testify  to  them  of  me,  for  the  Gospel  is  to  be  preached 
to  all  Gentiles  before  the  end  of  the  age  comes  (vv.  9-10).  The  per- 
secutions will  be  bitter,  but  you  will  be  cared  for,  and  those  that  endure 
to  the  end  of  the  age  will  be  saved  in  the  Messianic  Kingdom"  (vv.  il- 
13).     Read  Matt.  24:9-14  and  Luke  21:12-19. 

Vv.  14-23  speak  of  signs  indicating  the  time  for  Christians  to  leave 
Jerusalem.  Jesus  referred  to  Daniel's  prophecy  (Dan.  12:  li;  9:  27) 
which  predicts  some  abominable  thing  that  produces  desolation.  At 
the  time  when  Mark's  Gospel  was  written.  Christians  seem  generally 


i62       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


to  have  agreed  as  to  what  this  meant,  but  it  was  something  that  they 
did  not  dare  to  mention  in  writing.  In  the  parenthesis  in  v.  14  the 
author  speaks  of  it  as  something  his  hearers  will  understand,  though 
he  does  not  mention  it.  Their  fear  of  mentioning  it  leads  to  the 
surmise  that  it  was  some  representative  of  the  Roman  government 
who  should  appear  in  Jerusalem.  To  speak  of  him  openly  would 
seem  treasonable,  for  his  overthrow  is  assumed  in  this  prediction  of 
Messianic  judgment.  "I  have  told  you  what  are  not  to  be  taken 
as  indications  of  the  near  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  Now  I  will  tell 
you  what  is  the  true  sign  of  it.  It  is  the  abominable  thing  which 
brings  desolation  standing  where  he  ought  not  (we  know  what  He 
meant  by  that).  Then  let  not  merely  the  Christians  who  are  citizens 
of  Jerusalem,  but  even  those  who  live  anywhere  in  Judea,  flee  to  the 
mountain  retreats.  Let  them  do  so  instantly,  and  without  attempting 
to  save  any  possessions  (vv.  15-16).  The  fact  that  you  can  take 
nothing  with  you  and  that  your  flight  will  be  so  rapid,  will  make  it 
hard  for  those  with  child  (v.  17)  and  you  will  suffer  much  from  ex- 
posure if  it  occurs  in  the  winter  season  (v.  18).  I  urge  a  hasty  flight, 
for  the  suffering  of  those  days  will  exceed  anything  the  world  has 
ever  seen  (v.  19),  and  if  the  Lord  let  it  go  on  no  one  would  survive 
it.  But  for  the  sake  of  those  among  the  believers  who  will  not  have 
succeeded  in  escaping  to  the  mountains,  or  who  would  be  destroyed 
in  the  mountains  should  the  destructive  power  not  be  checked,  God 
will  not  let  it  go  on  (v.  20).  At  that  time  there  will  be  many  falsely 
pretending  to  be  the  Christ  or  God's  prophets"  (vv.  21-23).  Read 
Matt.  24:15-28;  Luke  21:20-24. 

Vv.  24-27  describe  the  Messianic  judgment  in  figurative  language 
suggestive  of  the  prophets  (cf.  Is.  13:10,  34:4;  Ezek.  32:7;  Joel 
2:  30-32).     Read  Matt.  24:  29-31  and  Luke  21  :  25-28. 

Vv.  28-37  contain  two  parables.  What  is  the  point  of  the  one  in 
vv.  28-29.^  Of  the  one  in  v.  34?  Vv.  30-31  seem  to  refer  to  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem,  while  v.  32  refers  to  the  Messianic  judg- 
ment. Read  also  Matt.  24:32-41  and  Luke  21:29-36.  Notice 
Luke's  emphasis  of  prayer  in  v.  36. 

Personal  Thought:  "To  stand  before  the  Son  of  Man"  (Luke 
21:36).  When  humanity  has  passed  through  all  its  purifying  trials, 
it  will  be  Jesus  Christ  before  whom  it  finally  stands,  and  it  will  be 
Jesus  Christ  who  will  appoint  its  high  career.  The  human  race  will 
serve  its  highest  end  in  the  use  that  Jesus  Christ  will  make  of  it. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       163 


Study  XIX.— C()e  Last  Wttk  in  ^tvuHKltm  (Continued) 

Seventh  Day:  The  Time  of  the  Messianic  Demonstration  (con- 
tinued).    Matt.  25:1-13 

The  subject  of  the  judgment  was  so  congenial  to  Matthew  that  it 
is  not  surprising  to  find  his  report  of  Jesus'  discourse  on  the  Messianic 
judgment  longer  than  that  in  Mark  or  Luke.  He  reports  in  24:43-51 
what  Luke  assigns  to  another  occasion,  but  the  whole  of  chapter  25 
is  peculiar  to  him,  and  it  is  this  chapter  that  contains  the  most  vivid 
portrayal  of  the  judgment  to  be  found  in  all  the  Gospels  (vv.  31-46). 

He  reports  the  story  of  the  wise  and  foolish  bridesmaids  (w.  1-12). 
Ten  village  girls  were  delegated  to  meet  the  bridegroom,  either  at  the 
bride's  home  or  at  the  bridegroom's  home,  when  he  came  back  with 
his  bride  from  her  home.  The  bridegroom  was  to  come  after  dark 
when  everyone  in  the  dark  streets  would  need  a  light.  Five  of  the 
girls  thoughtlessly  took  no  little  jars  of  oil  with  them  for  their  lamps, 
but  the  other  more  thoughtful  five  took  oil.  The  bridegroom's  com- 
ing was  so  much  delayed  that  all  of  the  girls  fell  asleep.  At  midnight 
it  was  shouted  that  the  bridegroom's  party  was  approaching.  All 
waked  and  began  to  light  their  lamps,  but  five  of  the  girls  found  that 
theirs  would  only  smoulder  for  a  moment  and  then  go  out.  They 
hurried  away  to  buy  oil,  but  when  they  returned  the  bridegroom  was 
received,  the  feast  had  begun,  the  doors  were  shut.  It  was  too  late. 
Read  the  story  (25:1-13)  with  active  imagination.  It  is  probably  a 
mistake  to  see  significance  in  the  details  of  the  parable,  such  as  the 
number  ten,  or  to  make  the  oil  and  the  lamps  signify  various  things. 
There  was  one  great  lesson  for  the  four  men  who  heard  it  (Mark  13:3), 
and  all  to  whom  it  has  since  come.  What  is  that  lesson  as  stated  in 
V.  13?  "Day  and  hour"  of  what  ?  In  answering  take  into  account 
the  discussion  in  chap.  24  with  which  this  is  closely  connected.  Here 
again,  as  once  before,  the  question  arises:  What,  according  to  Jesus' 
teaching,  constitutes  a  man  ready  for  this  occasion  ? 

Personal  Thought:  "And  the  door  was  shut."  There  is  such  a 
thing  as  the  end  of  opportunity.  There  may  be  a  question  as  to 
whether  opportunity  ends  abruptly  through  an  arbitrary  act  of  God, 
or  through  the  more  gradual  operation  of  the  laws  of  development 
which  God  has  instituted,  but  in  either  case  there  is  an  end  of  oppor- 
tunity. It  is  those  who  are  keenly  alive  to  the  presence  of  opportunity 
who  are  devoutly  eager  to  use  it,  and  to  use  it  immediately,  that  pass 
surely  into  the  great  eternal  successes  of  life. 


164       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XX.— Cl)e  Last  ^ceti  in  '^ttu&Kltm  (Continued) 

First  Day:  The  Time  of  the  Messianic  Demonstration  (continued). 
Matt.  25:14-30 

According  to  Matthew,  Jesus  used  another  very  impressive  story 
to  impress  His  thought  further.  It  is  a  story  from  business  Hfe.  A 
man  of  some  means  had  occasion  to  go  abroad.  He  did  not  wish  his 
estate  to  be  unproductive,  and  so  left  with  three  of  his  servants  sums 
of  money  adapted  in  amount  to  the  business  abihty  of  each.  When 
he  came  back,  the  two  who  had  received  the  larger  amounts  reported 
that  they  had  doubled  the  sums  left  with  them,  and  were  accordingly 
commended.  The  servant  who  had  received  the  smallest  sum  re- 
ported no  increase,  and  was  severely  punished.  Read  the  para- 
graph (25:14-30)  very  carefully. 

The  story  of  the  bridesmaids  with  the  torch  lamps  emphasized 
the  importance  of  being  ready  for  something  at  a  given  moment.  This 
story  of  the  faithful  investors  emphasizes  the  way  in  which  time  ought 
to  be  spent  in  order  to  be  ready  for  this  event.  The  essential  feature 
in  the  story  is  something  given  a  man,  capable  of  being  increased, 
the  faithful  increasing  of  which  prepares  for  the  day  of  reckoning.  Is 
it  possible  now  to  be  more  specific  and  state  what  it  is  in  the  sphere 
of  the  spiritual  life  that  is  given  to  man,  capable  of  being  increased, 
the  faithful  increasing  of  which  prepares  for  the  Christ's  judgment .'' 
This  point  is  discussed  later  in  the  "Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus 
and  His  Apostles."  Notice  for  a  moment  the  next  paragraph,  vv. 
31-46,  and  see  whether  it  throws  any  light  on  the  question. 

Does  V.  21  give  any  suggestion  regarding  the  character  of  Hfe  and 
its  occupations  in  the  age  to  come  ?  That  is,  is  it  fair  to  see  any  sig- 
nificance in  the  phrase  "set  thee  over  many  things,"  and  if  so,  what  ? 
Why  did  the  man  with  one  talent  refuse  to  invest  his  money  (vv.  24- 

27)? 

Personal  Thought:  "For  unto  everyone  that  hath  shall  be  given." 
The  man  who  will  faithfully  and  devoutly  so  use  what  he  has  as  to 
increase  it  is  orve  to  whom  common  sense  says  more  should  be  given. 

You  may  seem  to  yourself  to  have  so  very  little  to  start  with  that 
it  is  not  worth  while  to  use  it,  but  remember  that  the  only  way  to  get 
more  is  to  use  what  little  you  have.  No  man  ever  made  his  capital 
productive  without  beginning  to  invest  it,  however  little  it  was.  No 
man  ever  became  effective  in  any  form  of  Christian  ministry  without 
beginning  to  use  what  power  he  already  had. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       165 


Study  XX.— ^Tljt  Last  Wttk  in  ^TcrtiEialem  {Continued) 

Second    Day:   The  Time  of  the  Messianic  Demonstration  (con- 
cluded).    Matt.  25:31-46 

As  the  five  men  sat  on  the  Mount  of  Olives  looking  across  to  Je- 
hovah's House  and  into  the  twilight  fading  out  of  the  w^estern  sky 
beyond,  Jesus  drew  for  them  the  wonderful  picture  in  Matt.  25:31— 
46.  It  was  in  a  sense  the  final  putting  of  the  great  idea  to  the  teach- 
ing of  which  He  had  given  His  life.  The  discussion  up  to  this  point 
had  been  about  the  Messianic  demonstration,  and  now  He  pictured 
the  judgment  itself.  Read  the  paragraph  very  carefully,  and  answer 
these  questions:  Who  is  the  judge?  What  is  the  standard  of  judg- 
ment .f"  That  is,  what  fits  certain  persons  to  survive  the  Messianic 
judgment  and  pass  on  into  the  age  to  come  ?  What  actually  happens 
to  those  who  are  found  prepared  for  the  judgment .''  To  those  found 
unprepared  .?  Note  the  solemn  sound  of  the  pronouns  "I,"  "thou," 
"I,"  "thou."  The  individual  and  the  Christ-judge  stand  face 
to  face.  What  does  Jesus  mean  by  saying,  "Inasmuch  as  ye  did 
it  not  unto  these  ye  did  it  not  unto  me"  ?  Consider  whether  this 
description  of  the  judgment  throws  any  light  upon  the  character 
and  occupations  of  the  life  to  come.  If  this  description  shows  what 
qualities  are  to  be  looked  for  in  the  Christ's  judgment,  what  use  will 
be  made  of  them  in  the  age  to  come  ? 

The  four  men  passed  thoughtfully  on  to  Bethany  with  their  Lord, 
doubtless  confused  by  much  that  they  could  not  at  the  moment  un- 
derstand. Some  things  would  become  clearer  to  them  within  a  few 
months;  some  things  the  world  waits  yet  to  understand.  A  modest 
conservatism  is  surely  desirable  in  the  discussion  of  a  subject  con- 
cerning which  Jesus  made  the  confession  found  in  Mark  13:32. 

Personal  Thought  :  "When  saw  we  thee.^"  These  persons  sim- 
ply had  not  noticed  the  significance  of  daily  life.  Opportunities  for 
the  exercise  and  expression  of  sympathetic  good-will  had  occurred 
every  hour  in  the  commonplace  relationships  of  daily  life,  but  these 
people  had  not  noticed  them.  They  had  been  "busy."  Jesus  Christ, 
who  is  steadily  present  exercising  sympathetic  good-will  in  every  case 
of  human  need,  great  or  small,  had  looked  in  vain  for  them  to  join 
Him.     They  had  not  seen  Him. 


i66       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XX.— QT^c  Last  Wttk  in  ^crufialcm  (Continued) 

Third  Day:  An  Incident  at  a  Bethany  Dinner-Party  Determines 
One  of  the  Inner  Circle  to  Put  Jesus  into  the  Power  of  the 
Rabbis.     Mark  14:1-11;  Matt.  26:1-16;  Luke  22:1-6 

Two  days  before  the  great  day  of  Passover  week  the  rabbis  had 
still  been  unable  to  lead  Jesus  into  any  statement  or  action  that  would 
be  generally  recognized  as  a  reason  for  summary  legal  procedure  against 
Him.  They  would  have  liked  to  put  Him  to  death  before  the  Pass- 
over week  for  they  feared  that  He  might  take  advantage  of  the  presence 
of  a  multitude  of  His  friends  to  make  a  Messianic  demonstration  that 
week.  Without  some  specially  flagrant  offense  on  His  part  which 
would  be  generally  recognized  as  such,  they  did  not  dare  to  proceed 
regularly  and  openly  against  Him.  For,  oflFensive  as  His  record  was 
to  those  who  held  the  Beelzebub  hypothesis  regarding  Him,  it  was 
one  in  which  His  friends  gloried  as  evidence  of  God's  power.  The 
rabbis  had  about  made  up  their  minds  that  they  must  postpone  action 
against  Him  until  after  Passover  week,  when  from  an  entirely  un- 
expected quarter  there  came  a  suggestion  which  made  it  seem  possible 
after  all  to  get  Him  secretly  into  their  possession  long  enough  to  go 
through  the  regular  process  of  a  trial  and  execution  before  His  friends 
should  find  out  what  was  going  on.  They  felt  sure  that  if  they  could 
once  execute  Him,  the  simple  fact  that  He  had  been  unable  to  save 
Himself  would  prove,  even  to  His  most  enthusiastic  friends,  that  He 
was  not  the  Messiah,  and  there  would  therefore  be  nothing  to  fear  from 
them. 

Read  Mark  14:  l-ll,  noticing  that  v.  10  continues  v.  2.  The  in- 
tervening verses  seem  to  be  parenthetical.  Note  the  two  classes  of 
men  in  v.  I.  Read  also  Luke  22:  1-6  and  Matt.  26:  14-16.  Accord- 
ing to  John  12:  I  this  dinner-party  occurred  four  days  earlier  than 
the  time  mentioned  here  in  Mark  14:1.  If  we  follow  John's  chronol- 
ogy, the  incident  is  inserted  out  of  its  chronological  order  by  Mark. 
Perhaps  Mark  saw  in  the  incident  something  that  explains  Judas' 
conduct.  Do  you  see  any  connection  between  the  dinner-party 
and    Judas'   conduct  .-'     Why   did   Judas   turn   against  Jesus  ? 

Personal  Thought  :  Great  crimes  may  be  committed  in  very  casual 
ways.  The  commonplace  relationships  of  daily  life  constitute  op- 
portunity for  great  crimes  as  well  as  for  deeds  of  great  good-will,  and 
the  opportunity  is  so  favorable  that  the  crime  does  not  seem  great  at 
the  moment. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       167 


Study  XX.— CI)e  lafit  Wn'k  in  "StvuHdltm.  (Continued) 

Fourth  Day:  An  Incident  at  a  Bethany  Dinner-Party  Determines 
One  of  the  Inner  Circle  to  Put  Jesus  into  the  Power  of  the 
Rabbis  (concluded).  Mark  14:1-11;  Matt.  26:1-16;  Luke  22: 
1-6 

It  remains  to  look  more  closely  at  the  dinner-party  episode.  It 
is  only  from  John's  Gospel  that  we  learn  who  the  woman  was.  Giving 
attention  now  to  Mark's  presentation,  the  main  questions  that  arise 
are  these:  Did  the  woman  realize  that  Jesus  was  soon  to  die,  and  did 
she  therefore  intentionally  introduce  a  premature  funeral  ceremony 
at  the  dinner-party  ?  If  not,  what  was  her  idea  ?  Why  did  the  dis- 
ciples object  I     Why  was  their  objection  not  valid  ? 

At  the  dinner-party  Jesus  is  in  the  midst  of  those  who  believe  Him 
to  be  the  Messiah  and  who  do  not  expect  Him  to  die.  To  the  woman's 
mind  this  was  possibly  something  more  than  honor  shown  to  a  dis- 
tinguished guest  for  the  atmosphere  is  charged  with  Messianic  ex- 
pectation. It  may  have  been  a  private  anointing  of  Jesus  for  Messiah- 
ship,  affectionately  suggestive  of  the  public  Messianic  recognition 
which  she  believes  He  will  soon  receive.  But  death  is  now  so  real 
to  Jesus,  and  the  grave  so  near,  that  this  act  seems  to  Him  the 
beginning  of  the  burial.  The  scene  is  a  most  dramatic  exhibition 
of  the  contrast  between  Jesus'  view  of  the  future  and  that  of  His 
disciples,  a  contrast  that  has  been  several  times  made  evident  by 
Mark  since  8  :  31  fF. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  trace  the  psychological  history  of  Judas 
if  we  had  sufficient  data.  Probably  Jesus  had  Judas  especially  in 
mind  on  the  occasions  when  He  expressed  soHcitude  for  the  Twelve. 
Read  again  Mark  8:15;  9:33-34,  43-50-  Insincerity,  ambition, 
jealousy  were  developing  in  him.  At  the  dinner-party  Jesus  appears 
to  Judas  as  a  sad  sentimentalist  unable  to  talk  about  anything  but 
dying,  and  encouraging  extravagant  attention  from  women.  He 
lacks  the  sagacity  and  strength  requisite  for  the  administration  of  a 
great  state.  He  lets  the  crowds  go  unorganized.  He  will  never  be 
able  to  give  the  things  for  which  Judas  cares  most.  Caiaphas,  An- 
nas, and  the  rabbis  are  practical  enough  to  know  how  to  win! 

Personal  Thought:  "She  hath  done  what  she  could."  The  medi- 
ocre man  that  does  his  utmost  will  live  in  the  appreciative  thought 
of  God  and  man,  and  will  be  an  inspiration  to  those  he  may  not  dream 
of  influencing. 


i68       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XX.— CI)C  last  Wttk  in  ^tXttHBltm  (Continued) 

Fifth  Day:  At  the  Passover  Supper  Jesus  Speaks  of  Treachery, 
and  with  Impressive  Symbolism  Suggests  the  Significance  of 
His  Death.     Mark  14:12-26;  Matt.  26:17-30;  Luke  22:7-38 

1.  On  the  origin  of  the  Passover  read  Ex.  12:  1-28.  Read  Mark 
14:  12-16,  which  describes  the  preparations  made  for  eating  the  Pass- 
over Supper.  A  room  had  to  be  secured  in  the  city;  a  lamb  had  to 
be  killed  and  prepared  at  the  temple  between  three  and  five  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon;  wine,  herbs  and  unleavened  cakes  were  to  be 
bought;  and  a  compound  of  fruit  and  vinegar  had  to  be  prepared  in 
which  the  unleavened  cakes  could  be  dipped.  Notice  the  strange 
way  in  which  Jesus  proceeded  to  secure  the  room  (vv.  12-15).  Ten 
of  the  Twelve  probably  did  not  know  where  they  were  to  meet  until 
they  were  conducted  to  the  place  in  the  evening.  Do  you  see  any 
reason  for  such  secrecy  ?  Notice  in  Luke  22 :  8  that  two  of  His  most 
trusty  disciples  were  sent  on  this  errand.  Does  Luke  22:  11-12  in- 
dicate that  the  man  in  whose  house  they  were  to  meet  was  acquainted 
with  Jesus  ?     Read  the  far  less  vivid  account  in  Matt.  26:  17-19. 

2.  The  state  of  apprehension  in  which  Jesus  had  been  all  day  be- 
came evident  in  the  remarks  which  he  made  soon  after  the  Passover 
meal  began.  Read  Mark  14:18-21  and  Luke  22:15.  The  fla- 
grant character  of  the  act  is  expressed  in  v.  1 8 :  the  traitor  is  one  of  the 
Twelve,  and  one  who  eats  with  Jesus  in  the  sacred  relation  of  table 
companionship.  Does  the  language  in  Mark  tell  who  the  treacherous 
apostle  is  ?  If  two  persons  used  one  bowl  in  which  to  dip  the  pieces  of 
unleavened  bread,  then  the  statement  in  v.  20  would  have  constituted 
a  declaration.  Or  if  three  or  four  used  the  same  bowl,  the  number  of 
those  suspected  would  be  comparatively  reduced.  The  conversation 
probably  lasted  at  least  some  minutes,  and  various  things  were  said 
by  different  persons.  In  the  confusion,  not  everything  that  Jesus 
said  to  each  would  be  heard  by  all.  Read  Matt.  26:21-25.  Cf. 
Luke  22:21-23.  The  account  in  John's  Gospel,  13:21-30,  which 
is  much  more  graphic,  will  be  studied  later.  Was  it  too  late  for  Judas 
to  repent  ?     That  is,  did  Jesus  make  any  appeal  to  Judas  here .? 

Personal  Thought :  Jesus  had  chosen  Judas  of  Kerioth  because 
He  saw  in  him  real  capacity  for  usefulness.  The  note  of  grieved 
friendship  so  distinctly  heard  here  shows  that  Jesus  had  also  loved 
him.     This  painful  experience  was  a  part  of  Jesus'  suffering. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       169 


Study  XX.— C^e  Last  Wttk  in  ST^rttsalem  (Continued) 

Sixth  Day  :  At  the  Passover  Supper  Jesus  Speaks  of  Treachery, 
and  with  Impressive  Symbolism  Suggests  the  Significance  of 
His  Death  (concluded).  Mark  14: 12-26 ;  Matt.  26: 17-30  ;  Luke 
22 : 7-38 

1.  At  some  time  during  the  supper  Jesus  took  unleavened  cakes, 
blessed  them  impressively,  and  told  His  disciples  to  eat  the  pieces. 
Read  Mark  14:  22.  What  did  Jesus  mean  by  calling  the  pieces  His 
"body"  .''  Remember  that  the  fragments  of  the  "body"  of  the  Pass- 
over lamb  v?ere  still  upon  the  table.  Remember  what  the  significance 
of  this  "  body  "was  to  those  who  escaped  from  Egypt  (Ex.  12).  Read 
Matt.  26 :  26.    Note  the  three  points  of  difference  in  Luke  22 :  19. 

2.  Read  Mark  14:23-24.  "Covenants,"  or  contracts,  were  made 
binding  by  the  putting  of  blood  upon  the  contracting  parties.  Read 
Ex.  24 :  4-8  This  transaction  in  Exodus  was  regarded  as  the  old 
covenant.  A  new  covenant  is  spoken  of  in  Jer.  31  :  31-34.  Read  the 
passage  and  compare  Heb.  8:6-13.  Jesus  says,  then,  that  in  some 
sense  His  death  serves  to  bring  God  and  man  together  in  a  close 
and  lasting  relationship.  Note  the  additional  idea  in  Matt.  26 :  27- 
28.  Compare  Luke  22 :  20.  The  great  question  here  is  this :  What 
bearing  has  the  dying  of  Jesus  upon  the  relationship  between  God 
and  man  .''  Or  how  are  men  better  off  because  of  the  dying  of  Jesus  .? 
This  question  is  discussed  in  the  "Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apos- 
tles"; it  is  enough  here  to  bring  out  the  historic  occasion.  Read  Mark 
14:25  and  Matt.  26:29.  Jesus  pledges  Himself  not  to  drink  wine 
again  until  the  Messianic  banquet  at  which  they  will  be  present.  The 
wine  is  called  "new"  because  all  things  are  new  in  the  Messianic 
Kingdom.  (Cf.  Rev.  21  :  i).  How  long  a  time  did  this  probably 
seem  to  them  likely  to  be  ?  Was  it  probable  that  they  thought  at  the 
time  that  a  new  ordinance  was  being  established  .''  If  so,  when  would 
they  naturally  have  observed  it  next .''  Before  the  Passover  of  the 
next  year .? 

Where  did  the  disciples  probably  suppose  that  they  were  going 
(v.  26) .''     Read  Luke  22:  15-18,  24-30,  which  are  peculiar. 

Personal  Thought  :  "He  took  a  cup  and  gave  thanks."  He  was 
able  to  give  thanks  over  the  emblem  of  His  own  suffering  because  He 
knew  that  His  suffering  would  be  productive  of  good  to  "many,"  and 
it  may  be  because  He  had  some  deep  sense  of  fellowship  with  the  suf- 
fering heart  of  God. 


lyo       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 

Study  XX.— Clje  last  Wteii  in  Jerusalem  (Continued) 

Seventh    Day:   Jesus   Goes  to    Gethsemane.      Mark  14:27-42; 
Matt.  26  :  31-46 ;  Luke  22  :  31-46 

1.  After  chanting  some  of  the  Psalms  with  which  the  Passover 
Supper  usually  ended,  they  passed  out  into  the  night  (Mark  14:26), 
It  was  probably  a  little  before  midnight.  Here  and  there  were  groups 
of  people  who  had  finished  the  Paschal  Supper  and  were  now  going  to 
their  lodgings.  On  the  way  occurred  the  strange  conversation  found 
in  Mark  14:27-31.  Read  it.  The  foreboding  of  evil  that  had  op- 
pressed Jesus  at  the  supper  seems  not  to  have  left  Him.  What 
was  Jesus'  purpose  in  saying  what  He  did  in  v.  28  }  V.  30  con- 
tains the  most  vivid  statement  of  the  nearness  of  the  catastrophe 
that  has  yet  been  made.  The  dreaded  event,  whatever  it  may  turn 
out  to  be,  is  finally  at  hand  !  What  was  Jesus'  chief  concern  in  these 
last  moments  of  suspense .?  Read  the  parallel  matter  preserved  by 
Luke  in  22:31-38.  Notice  that  Luke  apologetically  explains  the 
astonishing  lapse  of  Peter's  loyalty  which  will  soon  be  recorded 
(v.  31),  and  speaks  appreciatively  of  his  future  relation  to  the  other 
disciples  (v.  32).  He  also  emphasizes,  as  usual,  Jesus'  praying  (v.  32). 
V.  36  is  a  figurative  way  of  saying  that  danger  is  near.  Two  persons 
of  the  company,  one  of  them  Peter  (John  18:  10),  and  the  other 
perhaps  Simon,  the  revolutionary  Zealot,  exhibited  daggers  that  they 
had  concealed  in  their  cloaks.  Jesus  could  not  take  time  to  argue 
with  them  concerning  His  real  meaning  (v.  38). 

2.  They  came  soon  to  a  garden,  which  was  a  favorite  resting-place 
of  Jesus  and  His  friends  on  their  way  back  and  fonh  between  Jerusa- 
lem and  Bethany  (John  18:  1-2).  It  was  called  the  "Garden  of  the 
Oil  Press,"  and  was  probably  an  olive  orchard.  At  the  entrance  He 
left  eight  of  the  Twelve  and  took  the  three  upon  whom  He  had  been 
accustomed  to  place  most  dependence  on  with  Him.  In  preparation 
for  the  next  study  read   Mark  14:  32-42  and  Luke  22:  39-46. 

Personal  Thought:  "1  made  supplication  for  thee"  (Luke  22:32). 
The  memory  of  these  words  in  after  years  must  have  been  a  grateful 
one  to  Peter.  He  was  apt  to  go  headlong  in  whatever  direction  he 
started.  He  was  walking  on  the  edge  of  a  moral  precipice  that  dark 
night  and  began  to  slip  down  into  its  abysmal  depths,  but  he  did  not 
fall.  Look  back  over  your  life  to  some  of  the  times  when  you  have 
been  kept  from  permanent  lapse  of  faith. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       171 


Study  XXL— Cf)c  last  Wttk  in  ^erttsalem  (Continued) 

First  Day:  Jesus  Prays  in  Gethsemane.     Mark  14  :  32-42  ;  Matt. 
26  :  36-46  ;  Luke  22  :  39-46 

1.  Read  again  Mark  14:32-42.  Why  did  Jesus  leave  the  eight 
at  the  entrance  to  the  garden  (v.  32)  ?  Why  did  He  take  the  three 
with  Him  (v.  ^^)  ?  For  whorh  or  for  what  were  they  to  watch  (v.  34)  ? 
They  noticed  from  His  appearance  that  He  was  passing  through  some 
experience  of  great  dread  and  sorrow  which  He  described  to  them 
as  like  death  (vv.  33-34).  If  we  could  tell  what  occasioned  this  op- 
pressive terror  and  sorrow  of  which  Jesus  spoke  we  should  know  the 
secret  of  this  sacred  experience.  Answer  as  best  you  can  the  question : 
What  was  the  cause  of  this  powerful  emotion  ?  A  question  closely 
related  to  it  is  this :  What  did  He  pray  to  be  spared  if  possible  ?  That 
is,  what  were  the  "hour"  and  the  "cup"  .? 

As  the  three  waited,  they  saw  by  the  light  of  the  Passover  moon 
that  Jesus  repeatedly  fell  on  the  ground,  and  in  the  silence  of  the 
midnight  hour  they  heard  the  words  of  His  prayer  (v.  36).  Then 
they  began  to  nod  drowsily  and  were  soon  asleep.  Why  did  Jesus 
address  His  reproach  to  Peter  (v.  37).?  Remember  vv.  29-31.  No- 
tice His  keen  solicitude  for  His  disciples  in  this  hour  of  His  own  dis- 
tress (v.  38).  They  ought  to  be  preparing  for  the  trial  that  is  just 
before  them,  for  although  the  spiritual  part  of  the  man  is  "willing," 
as  Peter's  recent  protestations  of  loyalty  show,  the  selfish  lower  nature, 
the  "flesh,"  is  weak  in  the  presence  of  temptation.  After  the  third 
period  of  prayer  Jesus  told  them  to  sleep  on;  their  obligation  was  dis- 
charged. The  crisis  had  come  and  the  time  for  preparation  was  over. 
The  flaming  torches  of  the  approaching  party  could  already  be  seen 
in  the  distance.  Notice  in  vv.  41-42  how  prominent  in  His  mind  was 
the  thought  of  the  treachery  of  the  man  He  loved. 

2.  Read  Luke  22:39-46,  which  has,  as  usual,  peculiar  matter. 
When  He  returned  to  the  group  of  three  the  sweat  was  rolling  from 
His  face  in  great  drops  like  the  fast  dropping  of  blood  almost  in  clots 
from  an  open  wound.  What  Lukan  peculiarities  appear  in  this 
account .?  The  fact  that  the  angel  is  said  to  have  appeared  "to  Him" 
shows  that  the  others  did  not  see  it.     Jesus  must  have  told  them  of  it. 

Personal  Thought:  "Pray  that  ye  enter  not  into  temptation." 
Prayer  beforehand  guards  the  soul  against  entering  into  temptation. 
It  prevents  temptation  securing  that  initial  hold  upon  one  which  is  so 
likely  to  result  in  defeat. 


172       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXI.— CI)e  last  Weeii  in  ^ertiEialem  (Continued) 

Second  Day:  Jesus  is  Arrested.     Mark  14  143-52  ;  Matt.  26  :  47- 
56  ;  Luke  22  :  47-53 

According  to  John's  Gospel  (13:30),  Judas  left  the  room  where 
the  supper  was  being  eaten  before  the  rest  did.  He  probably  hurried 
away  to  the  priests,  and  conducted  a  party  back  to  the  place  where 
he  had  just  left  Jesus.  The  place  had  been  selected  with  such  pre- 
caution (Mark  14:  12-26)  that  he  had  not  been  able  earlier  to  tell 
the  priests  where  they  could  find  Jesus.  When  the  party  arrived  they 
found  that  Jesus  had  already  gone.  By  inquiring  from  the  servants 
about  the  house,  or  perhaps  solely  through  Judas'  surmise  (John 
18:  2),  they  hurried  on  to  Gethsemane.  There  they  found  Jesus  and 
the  disciples  just  at  the  end  of  Jesus'  period  of  prayer. 

The  different  accounts  mention  as  members  of  the  arresting  party 
a  somewhat  miscellaneous  company  sent  out  by  the  Sanhedrin,  among 
whom  were  priests,  members  of  the  temple  police  force,  and  Roman 
soldiers  with  their  commanding  officer.  Let  your  imagination  produce 
for  you  the  scene  in  the  garden — the  moonlight,  the  flaring  torches, 
the  tensely  eager  forms  moving  about  among  the  lights  and  shadows 
under  the  trees.  Read  Mark  14:43-52.  Notice  the  way  in  which 
Judas  is  described.  Why  did  Judas  caution  them  to  lead  Jesus  away 
"securely"  (v.  44)?  Did  he  fear  resistance?  Note  the  marginal 
reading  "kissed  much,"  or  repeatedly.  Jesus  specially  protested 
against  their  coming  armed  with  clubs  and  daggers  as  though  He  were 
a  desperate  character  (v.  48).  Why  did  they  come  so  armed  ?  Why 
did  the  disciples  abandon  Him  ?  That  is,  what  explanation  would 
they  have  given  if  questioned  a  few  moments  later  ? 

It  is  sometimes  surmised  that  the  young  man  mentioned  in  vv.  51- 
52,  was  the  son  of  the  householder  in  whose  house  Jesus  had  eaten 
the  Passover  Supper,  and  that  after  the  arresting  party  had  appeared 
at  the  house  he  had  hurried  on  to  warn  Jesus.  It  is  also  sometimes 
further  surmised  that  he  was  Mark. 

What  new  matter  in  Matt.  26 :  47-56  ?  And  in  Luke  22  :  47-53  ? 
Note  Luke's  omission  of  the  cowardly  conduct  of  the  disciples. 

Personal  Thought:  Jesus'  self-restraint  in  prayer  (Matt.  26:53) 
is  noticeable.  He  could  have  had  twelve  legions  of  angels  in  place 
of  the  twelve  cowardly  apostles,  if  He  had  prayed  for  them.  Before 
we  can  be  largely  trusted  with  prayer-power  we  must  learn  when  not 
to  use  it,  as  well  as  when  to  use  it. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       173 


Study  XXL— CIjc  lagt  Wetk  in  ^evutiaXm  (Continued) 

Third  Day:  Jesus  is  Tried  and  Condemned  to  Death  by  the 
Sanhedrin.  Mark  14  :  53-65  ;  Matt.  26  :  57-68  ;  Luke  22  :  54, 
63-71 

I.  It  was  evidently  the  purpose  of  the  Sanhedrin  to  arrest  Jesus 
at  a  time  when  His  followers  were  scattered  all  over  the  city  eating 
the  Passover  Supper,  and  then  to  hasten  through  the  trial  and  exe- 
cution before  any  report  of  what  was  going  on  could  be  circulated 
through  the  city.  They  hurry  Him  from  the  garden  to  the  High 
Priest's  residence,  where  members  of  the  Sanhedrin,  previously 
warned,  assemble  quickly,  ready  to  begin  proceedings  immediately. 
The  Sanhedrin  was  the  highest  Jewish  court.  Arrayed  against  Jesus 
on  this  awful  night  were  the  ecclesiastical  hate,  the  religious  bigotry, 
the  political  unscrupulousness  of  one  of  the  most  intense  races  of 
the  world.  The  president  of  the  Sanhedrin  at  this  time  was  the  high 
priest,  Joseph  Caiaphas,  son-in-law  of  the  old  head  of  the  high  priestly 
family,  Annas,  himself  an  ex-high  priest  and  still  the  most  influential 
member  of  the  family.     Read  Mark  14:  53-64. 

There  were  three  stages  in  the  trial.  The  first  is  described  in  vv. 
55-59.  What  was  the  charge  made  against  Jesus  in  this  stage  of  the 
trial  ?  Was  there  any  ground  for  it  ?  Had  what  was  said  in  chapter 
13  leaked  out  through  Judas.?  Cf.  also  John  2:  18-ig.  They  were 
not  able  to  secure  evidence  that  Jesus  had  claimed  to  be  the  Messiah, 
for  this  could  have  been  secured  only  in  the  inner  circle  of  His  follow- 
ers where  they  could  not  easily  get  witnesses.  Judas  had  perhaps 
told  them  what  he  had  heard  Jesus  say  about  His  Messiahship,  but 
more  than  one  witness  was  necessary  for  conviction.  They  could 
not  search  for  witnesses  beforehand  in  the  inner  circle  without 
betraying  their  purpose  to  arrest  Jesus,  which  they  wished  to  conceal. 
It  may  be,  too,  that  they  preferred,  if  possible,  to  convict  Him  on 
some  less  dignified  and  more  popularly  offensive  charge  than  that  of 
being  a  Messianic  aspirant.  A  Messianic  aspirant  who  proposed 
to  burn  the  temple  would  be  recognized  as  a  monstrosity  even  by 
those  who  had  been  His  most  ardent  supporters. 

The  second  stage  of  the  trial  is  described  in  vv.  6o-6ia.  The  high 
priest  feels  that  valuable  time  is  being  wasted.  What  takes  place, 
therefore,  in  this  stage  .?  The  prosecution  seems  likely  to  break  down 
entirely  and  not  to  be  able  to  do  anything  with  Jesus  after  having 
proceeded  so  far  successfully. 


174       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


The  third  stage  is  described  in  6ib-64.  The  thought  that  has  been 
uppermost  in  all  their  minds,  though  they  have  not  mentioned  it,  is 
now  expressed.  What  is  the  mode  of  procedure  in  this  stage  ?  What 
does  Jesus  mean  by  the  admission  in  v.  62  ?  The  violent  bitterness 
which  had  developed  during  the  last  few  months  is  seen  in  the  fact 
that  even  these  dignified  members  of  the  court  spit  upon  Jesus,  and 
the  sheriffs  attack  Him  with  personal  violence  (v.  65). 

2.  Read  carefully  the  account  in  Matt.  26  :  57-68.  Read  Luke 
22:  54-71,  noticing  that  Luke  transfers  the  trial  to  the  early  hours  of 
the  morning  after  the  personal  abuse  to  which  Jesus  was  subjected 
(vv.  63-65).  Mark  and  Matthew  hint  that  there  was  a  more  formal 
session  after  daylight  (Mark  15  :  i;  Matt.  27  :  l).  Very  likely  in 
this  second  session  there  was  a  brief,  formal  ratification  of  what  had 
been  informally  done  in  the  night.  Perhaps  some  rule  of  the  court 
required  that  such  sentences  be  passed  in  the  daytime. 

If  we  suppose  that  the  statements  made  in  the  Talmud  regarding 
the  proper  procedure  of  the  Sanhedrin  were  not  ideal,  but  were 
actually  followed  in  the  time  of  Jesus,  certain  serious  irregularities 
occurred  in  this  trial.  See  Edersheim,  Life  of  Jesus  the  Messiah, 
Vol.  II,  page  556. 

Personal  Thought :  Jesus  said:  "Ye  shall  see  the  Son  of  Man  sit- 
ting at  the  right  hand  of  power  and  coming  with  the  clouds  of  heaven." 
It  seemed  an  absurd  thing  for  a  man  to  say  who  had  been  abandoned 
by  His  most  trusted  friends,  and  now  stood  apparently  absolutely 
without  resources  before  an  irresistible  and  unscrupulous  court.  They 
were  judging  Him;  but  Jesus  assured  them  that  He  would  judge  them 
in  God's  great  day.  They  could  even  spit  on  Him  and  slap  Him, 
but  when  they  had  exhausted  these  and  other  expressions  of  their 
spite,  He  could  rise  high  above  every  abuse  and  judge  them  by  the 
simple,  majestic  power  of  His  personality.  On  the  small  scale  of  our 
lives  it  is  also  true  that  if  a  man  simply  succeeds  in  being  what  he 
ought  to  be,  he  will  surely  overcome,  and  judge  every  malicious  attack, 
no  matter  how  overpowering  it  may  seem  at  the  time.  The  problem 
is  simply  to  be  steadily  and  quietly,  by  the  grace  of  God,  what  one 
ought  to  be. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       175 


Study  XXI.— STljc  last  l^cctt  in  S^crtisalent  (Continued) 

Fourth  Day:  The  Leading  Man  of  the  Ixiner  Circle  Denies  all 
Connection  with  Jesus.  Mark  14  :  54,  66-72  ;  Matt.  26  :  58,  69- 
75  ;  Luke  22  :  55-62 

Peter  had  not  run  far  into  the  shadows  before,  finding  that  he  was 
not  pursued,  he  began  to  reflect  upon  the  scandal  of  abandoning  Jesus 
after  having  made  such  violent  protestations  of  fearless  loyalty  (cf. 
Mark  14:  27-31).  It  would  be  interesting  to  know  how  Peter's  mind 
worked  each  quarter  hour  during  the  time  between  midnight  and 
morning.  We  know  that  he  plucked  up  courage  to  follow  into  the 
open  court  of  the  high  priest's  residence,  in  one  of  the  rooms  opening 
upon  which  Jesus  was  being  tried.  In  this  open  court  he  joined  a 
group  of  sheriffs  and  servants  that  were  warming  themselves  in  the 
chill  air  of  the  early  morning  about  the  brazier.  The  paved  open 
court  was  a  few  steps  lower  than  the  room  opening  upon  it  (v.  66). 
Why  did  Peter  go  to  the  high  priest's  residence  ?  Notice  the  three 
hearings  that  Peter  had — for  a  man  was  being  tried  in  the  open  court 
that  night  as  well  as  in  the  Sanhedrin.      Read  Mark  14:54,  66-72. 

When  had  the  servant  girl  probably  seen  Peter  with  Jesus  (v.  67)  .? 
This  question  frightened  Peter,  and  he  slipped  away  into  the  dark 
passage  leading  from  the  open  court  to  the  street  (v.  68).  V.  69  reads 
as  though  it  was  the  same  maid  that  again  noticed  Peter.  He  had 
drifted  back  again  to  the  fire  in  the  center  of  the  court,  and  was 
talking  with  some  of  the  group,  when  his  queer  Galilean  brogue  was 
noticed  (v.  70).  What  was  Peter  afraid  of.''  The  extreme  agitation 
under  which  Peter  was  laboring  is  evident  from  v.  72. 

Read  Matt.  26 :  58,  69-75,  looking  for  new  details.  Read  also 
Luke  22 :  55-62.  The  room  where  Jesus  was  being  tried  seems  to 
have  commanded  a  view  of  the  open  court  so  that  Jesus  could  see 
Peter  (v.  61).  John  18  :  15-18,  25-27  adds  some  interesting  details. 
The  fact  that  probably  a  good  many  noticed  Peter  and  spoke  of  him 
would  account  for  the  different  representations  in  these  narratives. 

Personal  Thought:  "The  Lord  turned  and  looked  upon  Peter" 
(Luke  22:61).  One's  situation  is  similar  to  that  of  Peter  when  to 
admit  that  he  is  a  Christian  contrasts  him  unpleasantly  with  those  who 
are  not.  That  which  keeps  a  person  true  in  such  a  situation  is  to 
realize  how  Jesus  feels  about  disloyalty.  When  you  find  yourself 
tempted  to  conceal  or  obscure  the  fact  that  you  are  a  Christian, 
imagine  Jesus  visibly  present  and  looking  you  in  the  eye. 


176       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXL— QTIjC  last  Wttk  in  '^nnsalcm  (Continued) 

Fifth  Day:  The  Roman  Procurator  RatLfies  the  Death  Sentence. 
Mark  15:1-15;  Matt.  27  :  1-26  ;  Luke  23  :  1-25 

The  death  sentence  voted  by  the  Sanhedrin  could  not  be  executed 
until  confirmed  by  the  Roman  procurator.  As  soon  as  it  was  early 
morning,  the  sheriffs  and  leading  priests  of  the  Sanhedrin  took  Jesus 
to  the  procurator's  residence.  The  procurator  at  this  time  was  Pon- 
tius Pilate,  who  held  office  a.d.  26-36.  He  appears  in  other  notices 
of  him  to  have  been  harsh  and  arbitrary,  but  he  had  a  restless,  pas- 
sionate people  to  deal  with.  His  personal  character  will  become  more 
evident  in  Part  H. 

The  procurator  either  regularly  held  early  office  hours,  or  came 
early  to  his  office  by  special  appointment  with  the  priests  and  rabbis 
on  this  eventful  morning.  Mark's  account  of  what  took  place  is  brief, 
but  vivid.  Two  entirely  distinct  companies  met  before  the  procu- 
rator's residence  that  morning.  One  of  them  had  Jesus  in  charge, 
and  the  other  came  up  from  the  city  to  make  the  annual  petition  for 
the  release  of  some  prisoner.  Pilate  hoped  for  a  time  that  this  chance 
meeting  of  the  two  companies  might  prove  a  happy  way  out  of  the 
situation.  Read  Mark  15:1-15.  Can  you  tell  from  this  narrarive 
whether  Pilate  had  previously  known  about  Jesus  ?  The  phrase 
"King  of  the  Jews"  emphasizes  the  political  side  of  Messiahship, 
and  was  therefore  likely  to  be  more  effective  with  the  procurator 
than  the  phrase  "Son  of  God,"  the  religiously  suggestive  phrase  used 
in  the  trial  before  the  Sanhedrin.  In  what  spirit  does  Pilate  make 
the  remark  in  v.  2  ?  Cf  Luke  23:  I,  5  in  order  to  see  what  some  of 
the  "many  things"  mentioned  in  v.  3  were.  What  occasion  had 
the  priests  for  "envy"  (v.  10)  ?  So  far  as  you  can  judge  from  Mark's 
account,  what  would  Pilate  probably  have  answered  if  some  of  his 
Roman  friends  had  asked  him  later  in  the  day  what  he  thought  of 
Jesus  ?  What  would  he  have  said  if  they  had  asked  him  why  he 
ratified  the  Sanhedrin's  sentence  ?  The  relation  of  Pilate  to  Jesus  is 
far  more  distinctly  brought  out  in  John's  Gospel  and  will  be  more 
carefully  studied  in  Part  H. 

Personal  Thought :  The  personality  of  Jesus  is  one  that  compels 
moral  issues.  No  one  was  ever  long  in  His  presence  without  finding 
himself  obliged  to  take  a  definite  position.  He  was  so  pronounced  a 
character  that  even  when  He  said  almost  nothing  people  were  fairly 
compelled  to  be  either  for  or  against  Him. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       177 


Study  XXI.— QCIjc  last  Wttii  in  2fcntsalcm  (Continued) 

Sixth  Day:  The  Roman  Procurator  Ratifies  the  Death  Sentence 
(concluded).     Mark  15  : 1-20  ;  Matt.  27  : 1-31  ;  Luke  23  : 1-25 

1.  Read  Matthew's  account  of  the  examination  before  the  procura- 
tor, 27:  2,  11-26,  and  note  the  two  new  features  in  vv.  19,  24-26.  It 
is  like  Matthew  to  bring  to  light  a  contrast  that  shows  clearly  the  bitter, 
implacable  hate  of  the  priests  and  rabbis.  The  message  which  came 
to  the  procurator  from  his  wife  shows  that  at  least  the  procurator's 
wife,  and  probably  the  procurator  himself,  had  known  something 
about  Jesus  before.  Perhaps  His  fame  during  the  last  few  months 
had  attracted  the  procurator's  attention  ;  perhaps  the  priests  had 
recently  tried  to  prejudice  him  against  Jesus. 

2.  Read  Luke  23  :  1-25,  noticing  its  emphasis  on  the  Galilean  aspects 
of  the  case.  Review  the  notices  of  Herod  found  in  Mark  6:  14-29; 
Luke  13:31-36.  Describe  in  a  sentence  or  two  what  Herod  would 
probably  have  said  in  inviting  a  friend  to  be  present  at  the  hearing 
which  he  was  about  to  give  Jesus.  What  would  he  have  said  to  such 
a  friend  after  the  hearing  .?  Why  did  Jesus  remain  silent  ?  Herod  was 
pleased  by  Pilate's  recognition  of  his  rights.  The  joke  that  Herod 
made  of  the  case  (v.  11)  served  to  put  the  men  in  a  good  humor  and 
end  some  petty  quarrel  (v.  12). 

3.  Finally  Pilate  ratified  the  Sanhedrin's  sentence,  and  gave  Jesus 
to  the  soldiers  for  the  horrible  scourging  on  the  bare  back  that  pre- 
ceded execution.  While  preparations  were  being  made  for  the  exe- 
cution, Jesus  was  left  to  be  the  victim  of  the  brutal  horseplay  of  the 
soldiers  in  the  barracks.  It  was  a  huge  joke  to  sport  with  a  "king," 
and  it  called  together  the  entire  cohort.  An  old  cloak  whose  color 
suggested  the  royal  purple,  and  which  had  been  cast  off  by  some 
of  the  officers,  was  thrown  over  Jesus'  shoulders  ;  a  rude  wreath  of 
thorn  tvsrigs  served  for  a  crown  ;  a  reed  served  as  a  royal  sceptre,  and 
then  the  fun  went  furiously  on.  Read  Mark  15 :  16-20  and  Matt. 
27:27-31. 

Personal  Thought :  All  unprejudiced  persons  with  whom  Jesus 
came  in  contact  recognized  His  innocence.  The  only  charge  that 
His  enemies  could  finally  prove  against  Him  was  that  He  claimed 
to  be  the  Messianic  Son  of  God.  On  that  charge  Jesus  still  stands 
at  the  bar  of  the  world's  judgment.  He  has  elected  to  let  this  question 
stand  for  everyone  to  answer:    Is  this  the  Messianic  Son  of  God  ? 


lyS       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXL— 2n)c  last  Wttk  in  ^nufiBltm  {Continued) 
Seventh  Day:   The  Fate  of  the  Betrayer.     Matt.  27:3-10 

During  that  historic  night  a  tragedy  was  being  enacted  in  another 
man's  heart.  It  does  not  appear  whether  Judas  was  present  at  the 
trial  before  the  Sanhedrin,  ready  to  be  witness  as  well  as  betrayer,  or 
not,  but  from  some  point  he  watched  the  proceedings,  and  when  he 
saw  that  Jesus  was  sentenced,  the  blackness  of  his  act  appalled  him. 
Read  Matt.  27:  i-io.  Does  Judas  appear  to  have  thought  that  his 
confession  would  in  any  way  serve  to  secure  a  reversal  of  the  sentence  ? 
It  may  be  worth  while  to  spend  a  moment  inquiring  why  Judas 
regretted  his  action.  How  had  his  view  of  Jesus  changed  since  three 
or  four  days  before  when  he  had  offered  to  betray  Him  .''  Did  the 
sentence  which  Luke,  with  his  special  sensitiveness  to  the  pathetic, 
records  in  22  :  48  ring  in  the  ears  of  Judas  ?  Had  there  been  anything 
in  Jesus'  treatment  of  Judas  that  night,  or  in  Jesus'  conduct  in  general, 
that  made  Judas  regret  his  action  ?  Judas  had  probably  been  paid 
off  as  soon  as  Jesus  was  arrested,  but  the  coins  hurt  his  hands,  and 
apparently  he  desperately  broke  into  the  priest's  court,  where  he  had 
no  right  to  be,  and  threw  them  on  the  pavement  for  the  priests  to  pick 
up.  This  incident  is  congenial  to  Matthew  because  it  brings  out 
in  a  strong  light  the  hard,  bitter  spirit  of  the  priests  and  rabbis.  Note 
also  the  characteristic  peculiarity  in  vv.  g-io.  This  quotation  is  not 
found  in  Jeremiah,  but  in  Zechariah  11  :  13,  and  its  ascription  here 
to  Jeremiah  has  occasioned  much  discussion. 

Read  another  account  of  this  incident  in  Acts  I  :  l8-ig.  So  far  as 
the  manner  of  death  is  concerned,  it  is  often  said  that  Judas  may  have 
hung  himself  and  by  the  breaking  of  the  rope  have  experienced  what 
is  described  in  Acts.  The  language  in  Acts  indicates  that  he  was  a 
heavy  man.  The  field  might  have  been  called  "Blood-Field"  for 
more  than  one  reason. 

Personal  Thought :  Judas  had  probably  had  a  line  of  reasoning  by 
which  he  justified  himself  for  earning  money  by  being  disloyal  to 
Jesus.  But  the  quiet,  unswerving  honesty  and  good-will  of  Jesus 
during  the  hours  of  that  night  were  like  the  white  light  of  the  judg- 
ment falling  upon  his  black  deed  and  exposing  it  in  all  its  hideousness. 
Any  professing  Christian  who  earns  money  in  a  way  that  involves 
disloyalty  to  Jesus  Christ  will  one  day  see  that  his  deed  is  also  a  black 
one,  though  he  may  speciously  justify  it  now. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       179 


Study  XXII.— C|)e  last  Wttk  in  ^cruBalcra  (Continued) 

First  Day:  Jesus  is  Executed.    Mark  15  :  21-41 ;  Matt.  27  :  32-56  ; 
Luke  23  :  26-49 

Preparations  were  quickly  made  for  the  execution.  A  small  pro- 
cession, the  central  figures  in  which  were  Jesus  and  two  brigands 
who  happened  to  be  ready  for  execution  that  morning,  started  from 
the  barracks  for  the  usual  place  of  execution  outside  the  city.  A 
captain  and  four  soldiers  were  appointed  to  execute  the  criminals. 
Mark  8 :  34  reads  as  though  the  criminals  usually  carried  their  own 
crosses  to  the  place  of  execution.  According  to  John  19:  17,  Jesus 
started  with  His  cross,  but  according  to  the  Synoptic  Gospels,  Fie  did 
not  carry  it  all  the  way.  Just  outside  the  city  His  strength  gave 
way.  Consider  what  Jesus  had  endured,  not  only  of  physical  suffering, 
but  also  of  mental  strain  in  Gethsemane  and  later,  within  the  last 
twelve  hours.  An  able-bodied  man  from  North  Africa,  either  a  Pass- 
over pilgrim  lodging  outside  the  city,  or  a  permanent  resident  of  Jeru- 
salem originally  from  North  Africa,  was  impressed  into  the  service. 
He  naturally  became  a  famous  man  among  the  early  Nazarenes  be- 
cause of  this  circumstance,  and  two  of  his  sons  were  evidently  well 
known  in  the  circle  for  which  Mark's  Gospel  was  written.  If  this 
circle  was  connected  with  Rome,  as  tradition  represents,  there  is  pos- 
sibly some  significance  in  Rom.  16:13.  Read  Luke  23:26-31  and 
note  two  characteristics  of  Luke. 

On  a  skull-shaped  mound  the  procession  stopped,  and  drugged 
wine,  provided  according  to  tradition  by  a  society  of  benevolent  Jeru- 
salem ladies,  was  offered  to  the  prisoners  to  stupefy  them.  Then, 
at  about  nine  o'clock  the  horrible  execution  began.  The  cross-bar 
was  laid  on  the  ground,  while  the  victim  was  nailed  to  it,  and  then, 
with  its  burden,  was  fastened  to  the  upright  which  remained  per- 
manently in  the  ground.  The  victim's  clothes  belonged  to  the  soldiers 
who  performed  the  execution.  Over  the  head  of  the  condemned 
man  was  placarded  the  crime  for  which  he  was  suffering.  Read 
carefully  Mark  15 :  21-26  and  Matt.  27  :  33-38.  Why  did  Jesus  refuse 
the  myrrhed  wine  ?     Read  also  Luke  23  :  33-34. 

Personal  Thought :  The  moments  of  a  man's  greatest  influence  are 
apt  to  be  the  moments  when,  in  spite  of  great  provocation,  he  is  seen 
to  retain  his  self-control,  or  when  in  great  sorrow  he  is  seen  to  retain 
his  faith — the  moments  when  he  resists  great  temptation.  Think 
of  your  temptation  as  your  great  opportunity. 


i8o       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXU.—QL^t  last  ^eeit  in  S^crufiakm  {Continued) 

Second   Day  :  Jesus  is  Executed  (continued).     Mark  15  :  21-41  ; 
Matt.  27  :  32-56  ;  Luke  23  :  26-49 

What  hint  is  there  in  Mark  15:  29  as  to  the  publicity  of  the  exe- 
sution  ?  Read  vv.  29-32  and  note  the  four  classes  of  persons  who 
jeered  at  Jesus  on  the  cross.  How  came  those  who  were  passing 
by  to  think  that  Jesus  had  wished  to  destroy  the  temple,  since  this 
was  not  the  crime  described  on  the  tablet  above  His  head  ?  (Cf. 
14:  56-58).  It  is  easy  to  see  how  such  a  report  would  enrage  the  peo- 
ple. Imagine  the  priests  and  rabbis  walking  about  the  cross,  gloat- 
ing over  the  success  that  they  have  so  long  planned.  "He  proposed 
to  bring  Messianic  salvation  to  the  nation,  but  He  cannot  even  save 
Himself!"  (v.  31).  Read  also  Matt.  27:39-44  and  Luke  23:35-38. 
Read  Luke  23 :  39-43,  in  which  is  preserved  a  most  interesting  cir- 
cumstance. The  two  brigands  talk  like  Jews  rather  than  foreigners. 
As  the  day  wore  on  it  became  evident  that  the  two  brigands  were 
really  men  of  very  different  character.  The  question  to  answer  is: 
What  did  the  better  man  of  the  two  think  of  Jesus .''  He  cannot 
have  believed  Him  to  be  the  Messiah,  for  even  the  apostles  abandoned 
the  theory  of  His  Messiahship  and  His  Kingdom  as  soon  as  they  saw 
Him  crucified.  He  had  probably  been  profoundly  impressed  by 
Jesus'  behavior.  He  had  seen  Jesus  pray  for  the  soldiers  as  they 
fastened  Him  to  the  cross.  He  had  noted  that  Jesus  did  not  shout 
down  angry  curses  at  the  priests  and  rabbis  jeering  about  His  cross. 
The  soul  of  the  brigand  was  touched,  and  he  began  to  feel  good- 
will toward  his  strange  neighbor  on  the  cross.  Jesus  probably 
seemed  to  him  a  good  man  of  ill-balanced  mind,  who  was  possessed 
by  the  delusion  that  He  was  the  Messiah.  Therefore,  with  a  kind 
of  grim,  but  thoroughly  kindly,  humor,  he  turned  his  head  toward 
Jesus  and  said:  "When  you  get  your  kingdom  remember  me!" 
Jesus,  who  saw  in  this  expression  of  good-will  the  essential,  though 
feeble,  beginnings  of  real  faith,  assured  him  that  they  would  be  to- 
gether in  Paradise,  the  blessed  part  of  Hades,  before  the  day  closed. 

Personal  Thought :  "I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will  draw 
all  men  unto  myself"  (John  12:32).  This  drawing  power  began 
to  manifest  its  influence  in  its  effect  upon  Jesus'  neighbor  on  the 
cross.  Jesus  reached  out  eagerly  in  spirit,  as  He  could  not  in  body, 
to  grasp  this  first-fruits  of  His  sacrifice. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       i8i 


Study  XXII.— €\)t  last  Wnk  in  ^txn&alm  (Continued) 

Third    Day;    Jesus   is   Executed    (continued).     Mark  15  :  21-41; 
Matt.  27  :  32-56  ;  Luke  23  :  26-49 

From  noon  until  three  o'clock  a  cloud  settled  over  the  country,  pro- 
ducing an  awe-inspiring  darkness  that  seemed  all  the  more  impres- 
sive afterwards  when  the  true  character  of  the  figure  on  the  central 
cross  was  realized.  At  three  o'clock  Jesus  uttered  the  first  words  of 
Psalm  22,  a  Psalm  the  whole  of  which  had  probably  been  in  His  mind 
for  months  and  which  had  been  freshly  suggested  to  Him  by  the  jeers 
of  the  rabbis  (Matt.  27:43;  Ps.  22:7-8).  There  maybe  in  these 
words  some  deep  theological  meaning,  or  it  may  be  that  they  simply 
indicate  that  the  picture  painted  by  the  entire  Psalm  was  in  Jesus' 
mind.     Read  the  entire  Psalm,  and  then  read  Mark,i5:  33-41. 

When  some  men  standing  near  the  cross  heard  Jesus  cry  "  Eloi,  Eloi" 
they  understood  Him  to  call  for  Elijah.  This  misunderstanding 
seems  to  indicate  that  they  were  Greek-speaking  Jews,  of  whom 
there  were  always  many  in  Jerusalem,  and  especially  large  numbers 
at  the  Passover  seasons.  One  of  them,  asking  permission  of  the  sol- 
diers in  charge,  dipped  a  sponge  in  a  pot  of  sour  wine  belonging  to 
the  soldiers,  fastened  it  to  a  reed,  and  put  it  to  the  lips  of  Jesus.  His 
purpose  seemed  to  be  to  strengthen  Jesus  for  further  petition  to  Eli- 
jah.    Jesus  then  uttered  a  great  cry  of  agony,  and  suddenly  died. 

It  was  afterward  learned,  perhaps  through  some  of  the  converted 
priests  (Acts  6 :  7),  that  a  marvelous  phenomenon  occurred  in  the 
temple  that  afternoon.  The  heavy  curtain  between  the  inner  and 
outer  rooms  fell  apart,  the  rent  beginning  at  the  top. 

The  captain  in  charge  of  the  execution  (v.  39)  caught  up  the 
phrase,  "Son  of  God,"  from  the  priests  and  rabbis  about  the  cross, 
but  interpreted  it  in  the  Roman  sense  of  a  demigod. 

The  women  were  standing  afar  off,  out  of  reach  of  the  insults  of 
the  soldiers,  and  at  a  modest  distance  from  the  naked  bodies  of  the 
victims. 

Personal  Thought:  "If  thou  art  the  Son  of  God,  come  down  from 
the  cross"  (Matt.  27  :  40).  Two  conceptions  of  power  stand  out  here. 
The  one,  represented  by  the  priests  and  rabbis,  calls  upon  the  pos- 
sessor of  power  to  avoid  suffering  for  others  ;  the  other,  represented 
by  Jesus,  calls  upon  him  to  show  his  right  to  power  by  using  it  for 
others.  The  first  conception  is  apparently  triumphant  in  the  foreground 
here,  but  the  latter  is  steadily  driving  it  into  the  background. 


i82       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXll—€f)z  Last  Wttii  in  2fcrufi!alcm  {ConunueJ) 

Fourth  Day:  Jesus  is  Executed   (concluded).     Mark  15:21-41; 
Matt.  27 :  32-56  ;  Luke  23  :  26-49 

1.  Read  Matt.  27:45-56,  looking  carefully  for  any  circumstances 
not  mentioned  in  Mark.  The  word  "Eli"  (v.  46)  is  Hebrew,  while 
"Eloi"  in  Mark  15:34  is  Aramaic,  the  Hebrew  dialect  spoken  in 
Jesus'  time.  What  is  your  opinion  regarding  the  significance  of  the 
words  in  v.  46  ?  What  is  it  for  God  to  "forsake"  a  man  .?  Did  Jesus 
feel  that  God  was  displeased  with  Him  .'' 

The  action  of  the  man  who  proposed  to  give  Jesus  the  sponge  of 
sour  wine  may  have  been  regarded  by  different  persons  about  the  cross 
in  the  two  ways  described  in  Matthew  and  Mark. 

2.  Read  Luke  23  :  44-49.  The  crucifying  of  so  gracious  and  glorious 
a  person  as  Luke  has  pictured  Jesus  to  be  seemed  especially  horrible 
to  the  devoutly  aesthetic  spirit  of  Luke.  This  is  evident  in  vv.  27 
and  48,  both  of  which  are  peculiar  to  Luke. 

Personal  Thought:  "All  His  acquaintance,  and  the  women  that 
followed  with  Him  from  Galilee,  stood  afar  off  seeing  these  things" 
(Luke  23  :  49).  Jesus  was  alone  at  the  center  of  suffering  and  all  His 
friends  could  only  stand  dumbly  watching  on  its  far  circumference. 
We  feel  to-day  that  we  cannot  yet  penetrate  to  the  real  cause  of 
Jesus'  suffering.  Evidently  what  killed  Him  was  not  the  wounds  in 
His  hands  and  feet,  which  would  not  be  fatal.  The  crucified  were 
said  often  to  have  lived  for  days  and  finally  to  have  died  of  starvation. 
Jesus  died  in  a  few  hours.  The  intense  mental  distress  beginning 
in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane,  and  reaching  its  climax  in  the  great  cry 
of  agony  at  the  last  moment,  seems  to  have  been  the  real  cause  of  His 
death.  It  is  the  source  and  character  of  this  intense  mental  distress 
that  constitutes  the  mystery  of  this  great  event.  The  two  character- 
istics of  Jesus  that  have  come  out  most  clearly  in  the  Gospel  narrative 
have  been  His  passionate  interest  in  men,  and  His  sense  of  being  the 
only  one  who  could  show  men  how  the  invisible  Father  feels  (Matt. 
11:27).  This  deadly  agony,  then,  it  would  seem  must  have  been 
caused  in  some  way  by  the  sin  of  the  men  He  loved,  and  must  be  viewed 
as  a  revelation  of  what  goes  on  in  the  unseen  heart  of  the  Heavenly 
Father.  How  this  unveiling  of  the  eternal  heart  of  God  in  the  his- 
torical phenomenon  of  the  death  of  Jesus  is  related  to  the  saving  of 
men  is  the  problem  that  human  thought  is  not  yet  able  fully  to  solve. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       183 


Study  XXII.— Clje  Laeit  Wttk  in  ^TerttBalem  (Continued) 
Fifth  Day:   The  Seven  Words  on  the  Cross. 

The  cross  of  Jesus  has  become  so  significant  in  the  religious  thought 
of  the  world  that  it  may  be  well  to  hsten  for  a  moment  to  the  words 
spoken  by  Jesus  in  His  agony  on  the  cross.  They  are  the  so-called 
"Seven  Words." 

"Father,  forgive  them  for  they  know  not  what  they  do"    (Luke 

23:34)- 

"To-day  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  Paradise"  (Luke  23 :  43). 

"Woman,  behold  thy  son!"  "Behold  thy  mother!"  (John  19:26-27). 

"My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me.?"  (Mark  15:  34). 

"I  thirst"  (John  19:28). 

"It  is  finished"  (John  19:30). 

"Father,  into  thy  hands  I  commend  my  spirit"  (Luke  23:  46). 

Answer  carefully  these  questions :  If  you  had  only  these  words  to 
judge  by,  what  kind  of  person  would  you  conceive  Jesus  to  be  .?  What 
could  a  person  learn  about  God  in  these  seven  words  ?  What  do  they 
show  regarding  Jesus'  relation  to  God  .''  How  do  they  represent  Jesus 
to  have  felt  about  men  .? 

Personal  Thought :  In  the  midst  of  His  physical  pain  and  mental 
distress  Jesus  seemed  to  be  chiefly  thoughtful  of  others :  the  soldiers 
that  nailed  Him  to  the  cross;  the  mother  that  He  had  so  long  sup- 
ported; the  awakening  heart  of  the  brigand  on  the  neighboring  cross; 
His  mission  to  men.  This  could  only  be  because  the  habit  of  His  life 
was  to  take  account  of  others. 


184       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXII.— CI)e  last  Wttk  in  ^eritsalcra  (ContinueJ) 

Sixth  Day:  The  Burial  of  Jesus.   Mark  15:42-47;  Matt.  27:57- 
61  ;  Luke  23:50-56 

1.  The  trial  and  death  of  Jesus  frightened  away  from  Him  some 
who  might  have  been  expected  to  stay  faithfully  by  Him,  but  it  brought 
others  who  perhaps  wished  to  atone  for  their  past  timidity  out  into 
the  open.  Among  these  were  two  members  of  the  Sanhedrin.  Read 
Mark  15:42-47  (cf.  John  19:39)  with  careful  attention  to  details. 
According  to  Jewish  usage,  bodies  might  not  remain  unburied  over 
the  Sabbath  (v.  42).  Why  was  the  councillor's  visit  to  the  procurator 
a  "bold"  one  (v.  43)?  It  was  an  unheard  of  thing  that  a  crucified 
man  should  die  so  soon,  and  the  procurator  could  not  believe  the  report 
of  Jesus'  death  until  he  had  interviewed  the  captain  who  superintended 
Jesus'  execution  (vv.  44-45).  Joseph  stopped  in  the  bazaar  on  his 
way  from  the  procurator's  office  and  bought  burial  linen.  Then  with 
his  own  hands  he  took  Jesus'  body  down  from  the  cross  and  placed 
it  in  a  burial  chamber  cut  out  of  the  rock,  and  rolled  a  large,  solid, 
wheel-shaped  stone  across  the  low  doorway  (v.  46).  Two  women, 
weary  with  the  day's  weeping,  watched  the  proceedings  (v.  47).  What 
would  Joseph  probably  have  said  of  Jesus  if  some  friend  had  asked 
him  who  He  was  ? 

2.  Read  Matt.  27:57-61,  and  note  several  items  of  additional  in- 
formation. 

3.  Read  Luke  23 :  50-56  very  carefully,  noting  any  peculiarities. 
Anticipating  the  study  of  Part  II,  read  John  19:  38-42. 

4.  Matthew  adds  a  characteristic  paragraph  relating  to  the  action 
of  the  priests  and  rabbis.     Read  Matt.  27:  62-66. 

Personal  Thought :  "So  they  went  and  made  the  sepulchre  sure,  seal- 
ing the  stone,  the  guard  being  with  them"  (Matt.  27  :  66).  The  victory 
of  the  powerful  priests  and  rabbis  seemed  complete.  They  had  held 
their  popular  rival  up  on  a  cross  in  naked  shame  before  His  frightened 
followers  for  six  hours,  and  now  before  the  sealed  door  of  the  dead  man's 
tomb,  the  relentless  hate  of  the  Jew  and  the  invincible  power  of  the 
Roman  were  standing  on  guard.  It  would  seem  that  the  end  had 
come.  And  yet,  here  are  we,  living  nineteen  hundred  years  after- 
ward, of  another  race,  on  another  continent,  calling  this  dead  man 
Lord  and  trying  to  do  His  will. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       185 


Study  XXII.— Cj&e  last  Wttk  in  ^cxmalm  (Continued) 

Seventh   Day:   The  Arrest,  Trial,  and  Execution  of  Jesus,  Ac- 
cording to  John's  Gospel.     John  18-19 

The  life  of  Jesus  according  to  John's  Gospel  will  constitute  the 
subject  of  Part  II,  but  it  may  be  well  to  read  rapidly  at  this  point  chap- 
ters i8-ig  while  the  Synoptic  narrative  is  held  freshly  in  mind. 

Personal  Thought: 

*'  Were  he  divine,  and  maker  of  all  worlds, — 
The  Godhead  veiled  in  suffering,  for  our  sins,— 
An  unimagined  splendor  poured  on  earth 
In  sacrifice  supreme, — this  were  a  scene 
Fit  for  the  tears  of  angels  and  all  men. 
If  he  were  man, — a  passionate  human  heart. 
Like  unto  ours,  but  with  intenser  fire. 
And  whiter  from  the  deep  and  central  glowj 
Who  loved  all  men  as  never  man  before, 
Who  felt  as  never  mortal  all  the  weight 
Of  this  world's  sorrow,  and  whose  hand 
Upstretched  in  prayer  did  seem,  indeed,  to  clutch 
The  hand  divine;  if  he  were  man,  yet  dreamed 
That  the  Ineffable  through  him  had  power — 
Even  through  his  touch — to  scatter  human  pain 
(Setting  the  eternal  seal  on  his  high  hope 
And  promised  kingdom);  were  he  only  man. 
Thus,  thus  to  aspire,  and  thus  at  last  to  fall! 
Such  anguish!  such  betrayal!     Who  could  paint 
That  tragedy  !  one  human,  piteous  cry — 
"  Forsaken!  " — and  black  death!     If  he  were  God, 
'T  was  for  an  instant  only,  his  despair; 
Or  were  he  man,  and  there  is  life  beyond, 
And,  soon  or  late,  the  good  rewarded  are, 
Then,  too,  is  recompense. 

But  were  he  man, 
And  death  ends  all;  then  was  that  tortured  death 
On  Calvary  a  thing  to  make  the  pulse 
Of  memory  quail  and  stop." 

Richard  Watson  Gilder,  T»  Palestine. 


1 86       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXIII.— C|)e  KesurrectiDn 

First    Day:   The    Resurrection    of    Jesus,    According    to    Mark. 

Mark  i6 

The  women,  weary  with  watching  the  cross  all  day,  noted  with 
intense  interest  what  the  stranger  Joseph  did  with  the  body  of  Jesus. 
Then  as  the  sun  set  and  the  sacred  Sabbath  began,  they  went  away 
to  the  place  where  they  had  secured  lodgings  for  the  week.  All  the 
next  day  they  rested,  but  when  at  sunset  the  Sabbath  ended  and  the 
bazaars  opened,  they  bought  spices  with  which  to  prepare  the  body 
of  Jesus  for  burial,  as  there  had  not  been  time  or  opportunity  to  do 
on  the  day  of  the  crucifixion.  Then  they  waited  for  the  next  day  to 
dawn.  Read  Mark  i6:l-8  with  active  imagination,  picturing  the 
women  hurrying  past  the  scene  of  the  crucifixion  in  the  twilight  of  the 
early  morning,  anxiously  wondering  how  they  could  gain  access  to 
the  body  in  the  closed  burial  chamber.  The  burial  chamber  was 
probably  high  enough  for  a  tall  man  to  stand  erect  in,  although  the 
door  was  low  enough  to  be  covered  by  a  stone  rolled  across  it.  A 
ledge  of  native  rock  had  been  left  on  at  least  three  sides  of  the  chamber 
about  the  height  of  a  seat,  and  slightly  concave,  on  which  dead  bodies 
might  be  laid.  On  this  ledge,  at  the  right  of  the  doorway,  a  "young 
man"  was  seen  sitting  ready  to  deliver  the  wonderful  message  which 
has  never  ceased  to  thrill  the  hearts  of  men.  Why  is  it  the  women 
instead  of  the  disciples  that  prepare  the  body  of  Jesus  for  burial  ?  Do 
the  women  believe  Him  to  have  been  the  Messiah  }  Why  does  the 
young  man  make  special  mention  of  Peter  (v.  7)  ?  Do  you  see  any 
advantage  in  going  back  to  Galilee  for  an  interview  with  them  (v.  7)  .? 

Personal  Thought :  "  Behold  the  place  where  they  laid  Him!"  These 
words  were  spoken  from  the  standpoint  of  heavenly  amazement. 
This  young  man  from  the  other  world  sees  all  the  events  of  the  last 
few  days  from  the  standpoint  of  heaven,  and  on  this  first  opportunity 
to  talk  with  mortals  about  them  he  cannot  quite  confine  himself  to 
the  simple  message  which  Jesus,  in  anticipation  of  the  women's  visit, 
had  given  him.  He  must  betray  the  heavenly  amazement  which  fills 
his  mind.  "Behold  the  place  where  they  laid  Him!"  The  heavenly 
standpoint  gains  ground  with  every  successive  year,  as  generation 
after  generation,  with  unabating  reverence  and  wonder,  travel  across 
continents  and  oceans  to  see  the  place  where  they  laid  Him. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       187 


Study  XXIIL— STIje  Kcfittrrectton 

Second    Day:   The   Resurrection   of   Jesus,   According  to   Mark 
(concluded).     Mark  i6 

Attention  is  now  quite  generally  called  to  the  fact  that  the  paragraph 
Mark  16:  9-20  does  not  appear  in  the  two  oldest  Greek  manuscripts. 
It  is  thought  by  many  scholars  not  to  be  of  a  piece  with  the  rest  of 
the  Gospel.  The  principal  points  usually  urged  in  favor  of  the  view 
that  these  verses  were  not  originally  a  part  of  the  Gospel  are  these: 
(i)  A  vivid,  detailed  narrative  breaks  off  at  a  most  interesting  point  in 
V.  8,  and  is  followed  by  a  brief  summary  barren  of  all  details.  The 
way  in  which  the  narrative  might  naturally  be  expected  to  proceed  is 
seen  in  Matt.  28:8-10  and  Luke  24:7-11.  (2)  The  promise  of  a 
meeting  in  Galilee  (v.  7)  finds  no  fulfillment  as  it  does  in  Matthew. 
(3)  Mary  Magdalene  is  described  in  v.  g  ("out  of  whom  He  cast  seven 
devils")  as  though  introduced  into  the  narrative  for  the  first  time, 
although  the  preceding  section  mentions  her  among  the  women  who 
went  to  the  tomb  (v.  i).  (4)  The  mention  of  the  first  day  of  the  week  in 
V.  9  would  be  quite  unnatural  if  this  section  were  a  part  of  the  preced- 
ing, for  the  author  has  already  stated  in  v.  2  that  the  visit  to  the  tomb 
occurred  on  that  day.  (5)  The  paragraph  contains  verbal  peculiarities 
more  evident  in  the  Greek  than  in  the  English,  which  distinguish 
it  from  the  rest  of  the  Gospel.  Read  the  paragraph.  Why  the  Gos- 
pel should  end  abruptly  with  v.  8,  in  case  vv.  9-20  were  not  a  part  of 
the  original  Gospel,  or  what  became  of  the  original  ending  if  there 
was    one,  are  questions  not  very  satisfactorily  answered. 

If  you  endeavor  to  analyze  the  emotions  of  the  disciples  (v.  10), 
over  what  are  they  probably  mourning.?  "Believe"  what  (v.  16).'' 
That  is,  what  is  the  gospel .?  It  seems  hardly  probable  that  the 
words  ascribed  to  Jesus  in  v.  18  were  regarded  by  the  compiler  of 
this  section  as  a  promise  that  all  Christians  should  be  poison-proof. 
He  probably  thought  of  the  words  as  finding  an  illustration  in  such 
special  instances  as  Acts  28:  1-6. 

Personal  Thought :  Vv.  19-20  express  the  experience  of  the  church 
in  all  the  centuries.  Men  go  here  and  there  preaching  the  good  news 
of  opportunity  to  enter  the  large  and  enduring  life  of  the  Kingdom 
through  accepting  Jesus  Christ  as  Lord.  With  these  men  their  in- 
vincible Lord  at  the  center  of  power  in  the  universe  cooperates. 
Signs  follow:  men  stop  cursing  and  begin  to  pray;  drunkards  be- 
come sober  men;  selfish  men  begin  to  feel  an  interest  in  others- 


i88       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXIIL— STlje  Ecfiarmtion 

Third  Day:  The  Resurrection  of  Jesus,  According  to  Matthew. 

Matt.  28 

Read  first  Matt.  28 ;  1-8,  which  is  parallel  to  Mark  16 :  1-8,  looking 
for  new  information. 

Read  vv.  9-10.  This  is  not  the  first  appearance,  as  will  be  seen 
later  in  the  study  of  John's  Gospel.  What  thought  appears  to  be 
uppermost  in  the  mind  of  Jesus  after  His  resurrection  .? 

Read  vv.  11-15,  and  note  the  characteristic  peculiarity  of  Matthew 
contained  in  them.  This  explanation  of  the  resurrection  of  Jesus 
was  probably  current  among  the  enemies  of  early  Christianity,  and 
has  sometimes  reappeared  since.  At  present,  even  those  who  do  not 
accept  the  resurrection,  generally  discard  this  explanation  as  an  im- 
possible one.  The  whole  character  of  the  early  church  makes  it 
evident  that  its  founders  could  not  have  been  guilty  of  this  fraud. 

Read  w.  16-20,  which  quickly  transfer  the  scene  to  the  northern 
province  and  to  a  time  some  days  or  weeks  later.  It  is  not  necessary 
to  suppose  that  only  the  eleven  were  present,  and  the  statement  that 
"some  doubted"  (v.  17)  seems  to  indicate  that  others  were  present. 
Perhaps  this  may  even  have  been  the  large  meeting  of  five  hundred  in 
which  Jesus  appeared,  according  to  I  Cor.  15:6.  Read  vv.  18-20 
with  especial  care.  What  is  meant  by  the  last  half  of  v.  18  ?  That  is, 
what  may  we  suppose  would  have  been  an  instance  of  the  exercise  of 
Jesus'  "authority"  in  heaven.''  What  is  it  for  Him  to  have  "au- 
thority" on  earth  .?     What  is  the  force  of  "therefore"  (v.  19)  .? 

Personal  Thought:  "And  Jesus  came  unto  them  and  spake  unto 
them,  saying.  All  authority  hath  been  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and 
on  earth.  Go  ye,  therefore,  and  make  disciples  of  all  the  nations, 
baptizing  them  into  the  name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the 
Holy  Ghost :  teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  com- 
manded you :  and  lo,  I  am  with  you  all  the  days,  even  unto  the  con- 
summation of  the  age."  Persons  in  fellowship  with  the  Spirit  of  Jesus 
are  to  bear  the  commands  of  Jesus  to  all  nations.  It  is  an  authoritative 
Lord  whose  ambassadors  we  are.  We  are  not  begging  men  to  do  our 
Lord  a  favor  by  becoming  His  disciples,  but  we  go  to  acquaint  them 
with  the  commands  of  one  who  has  authority  in  heaven  and  earth. 
We  have  no  spirit  of  arrogant  authority  ourselves  for  we  are  ourselves 
obeying  Him.  We  simply  urge  others  to  jom  us  in  obeying  the  com- 
mands of  Jesus  Christ. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       189 


Study  XXIIL— CI)e  Ke£(tirrectt0n 

Fourth   Day:   The   Resurrection   of  Jesus,  According  to  Luke. 

Luke  24 

1.  Read  Luke  24:  1-12,  noting  any  new  information.  Especially 
note  the  attitude  of  Luke  to  Peter.  There  are  always  many  sides  to 
an  event  with  which  many  persons  are  connected.  Each  actor  sees  it 
from  the  angle  of  his  own  personal  relation  to  it.  There  must  have 
been  many  disciples  closely  connected  with  the  appearances  of  Jesus 
after  His  resurrection — the  women,  the  eleven,  "all  the  rest"  (Luke 
24:9),  besides  the  Roman  guard  and  the  miscellaneous  spectators. 
It  is  to  be  expected,  therefore,  that  in  different  accounts  different 
circumstances  would  come  to  light. 

2.  Read  next  Luke  24:13-35,  the  beautiful  narrative  preserved 
by  Luke  alone  describing  the  experience  of  two  who  seem  not  to 
have  been  apostles,  although  closely  connected  with  the  apostolic 
company  (v.  33).  It  is  like  Luke  to  feel  specially  interested  in  the 
experience  of  these  two  comparatively  obscure  men,  and  to  show  how 
graciously  Jesus  honored  them  with  a  special  interview.  It  would 
be  interesting  to  know  the  previous  history  of  these  two  men,  and  what 
it  was  in  their  situation  that  made  Jesus  single  them  out  for  so  signal 
a  manifestation  of  His  favor.  In  the  crowded  condition  of  the  city 
and  its  suburbs  these  two  men  had  been  obliged  to  find  lodgings  some 
seven  or  eight  miles  out  of  the  city  (v.  13),  or  possibly  they  were  resi- 
dents of  this  village  and  belonged  to  the  Judean  contingent  of  Jesus* 
following. 

Imagine  some  of  the  things  that  they  were  saying  to  each  other  (vv. 
14-15).  Just  how  much  of  what  had  happened  in  the  early  morning 
hours  of  that  day  did  they  know  ?  What  had  been  the  view  of  Jesus 
held  by  these  two  men  before  His  execution  .?  What  was  it  now  ? 
When  the  stranger  began  to  cite  from  memory  the  Messianic  passages 
in  Moses  and  the  prophets  and  to  advocate  the  novel  idea  that  the 
Scripture  predicted  a  suffering  Messiah,  the  two  men  must  have  thought 
that  they  had  fallen  in  with  some  great  rabbi,  and  yet  a  rabbi  utterly 
different  from  most  of  his  class.  When  they  saw  that  their  village  was 
not  His  destination,  they  urged  Him  to  spend  the  approaching  night 
with  them.  Doubtless  they  wished  to  know  more  of  this  novel  in- 
terpretation of  the  scriptures. 

Personal  Thought :  "Abide  with  us:  for  it  is  toward  evening,  and 
the  day  is  now  far  spent." 


190       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


"  Abide  with  me  !   fast  falls  the  eventide, 
The  darkness  deepens — Lord  with  me  abide  ! 
When  other  helpers  fail,  and  comforts  flee, 
Help  of  the  helpless,  O,  abide  with  me  1 

"  Swift  to  its  close  ebbs  out  life's  little  day  ; 
Earth's  joys  grow  dim,  its  glories  pass  away; 
Change  and  decay  in  all  around  I  see  ; 

0  Thou  who  changest  not,  abide  with  me  ! 

"  Not  a  brief  glance  I  beg,  a  passing  word, 

But  as  Thou  dwell'st  with  Thy  disciples,  Lord,— 
Familiar,  condescending,  patient,  free ; 
Come,  not  to  sojourn,  but  abide,  with  me  1 

"  Come  not  in  terrors,  as  the  King  of  kings, 

But  kind  and  good,  with  healing  in  thy  wings, — 
Tears  for  all  woes,  a  heart  for  every  plea  ; 
Come,  Friend  of  sinners,  and  abide  with  me  ! 

**  I  need  Thy  presence  every  passing  hour; 

What  but  Thy  grace  can  foil  the  Tempter's  power  ? 
Who  like  Thyself  my  guide  and  stay  can  be  ? 
Through  cloud  and  sunshine,  O,  abide  with  me  ! 

*'  I  fear  no  foe,  with  Thee  at  hand  to  bless ; 
Ills  have  no  weight,  and  tears  no  bitterness. 
Where  is  Death's  sting  ?     Where,  Grave,  thy  victory  f 

1  triumph  still,  if  Thou  abide  with  me  1 

*'  Hold  Thou  Thy  cross  before  my  closing  eyes ! 

Shine  through  the  gloom,  and  point  me  to  the  skies  ! 
Heaven's  morning  breaks,  and  earth's  vain  shadows  flee; 
In  life,  in  death,  O  Lord,  abide  with  me! " 


Henry  F.   Lyte. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       191 


Study  XXIII.— er|)e  Kcgurrectiott 

Fifth  Day:  The  Resurrection  of  Jesus,  According  to  Luke  (con- 
cluded).   Luke  24 

1.  As  the  men  sat  down  to  break  bread  together,  the  stranger  as- 
sumed the  authority  of  host,  broke  the  bread,  blessed  it,  and  served 
it  to  them.  This  unexpected  action  made  them  look  at  the  stranger 
with  surprise,  and  while  they  gazed  intently  at  Him  watching  Him 
perform  the  act  they  had  so  often  seen  Jesus  perform,  the  spell  was 
broken  and  they  saw  that  the  mysterious  rabbi  was  no  other  than 
Jesus  Himself.  While  they  looked  He  disappeared.  They  would  not 
keep  their  discovery  to  themselves  even  over  night,  but  hurried  back 
to  Jerusalem.  As  they  opened  the  door  of  the  room  where  the 
Jerusalem  company  was  gathered,  they  were  greeted  with  the  cry, 
"The  Lord  is  risen.  He  hath  appeared  to  Simon  !"  Then  they  told 
their  story  (vv.  33-35).  What  do  you  imagine  to  have  been  the 
nature  of  Jesus'  interview  with  Peter  .? 

2.  The  apostolic  company  was  now  in  a  state  of  excitement.  The 
women,  Peter,  and  last  of  all  these  two  men  from  Emmaus  had  all 
caught  glimpses  of  Jesus,  and  yet  this  seemed  to  the  others  incredible. 
Read  Luke  24:  36-43.  Jesus  possessed  a  body  completely  responsive 
to  His  spirit.  It  could  be  made  visible  or  invisible  at  His  spirit's  will, 
and  could  apparently  pass  through  space  as  quickly  as  His  spirit  willed 
to  have  it.  At  the  same  time  it  could  eat  food  if  His  spirit  willed  to 
have  it,  and  it  bore  the  marks  of  crucifixion.  It  seems  to  be  from 
such  phenomena  that  Paul  derived,  in  part  at  least,  his  conception  of 
a  spiritual  resurrection  body  (I  Cor.  15:  35-53)' 

3.  In  V.  44  begins  a  paragraph  summing  up  the  final  message  of 
Jesus  to  His  disciples.  Read  vv.  44-53.  Fuller  details  are  given  in 
Acts  I  :  i-li.  Exactly  what  was  the  message  that  they  were  to  bear 
to  the  nations  ?  To  what  extent  were  they  to  have  verified  it  in  their 
own  experience  ?     What  preparation  did  they  need  for  this  work  ^ 

Personal  Thought:  "And  He  lifted  up  His  hands  and  blessed 
them"  (v.  50).  In  their  last  view  of  Him  as  He  went  heavenward, 
hands  with  nail  marks  in  the  palms  were  extended  over  them  in  bless- 
ing. He  loved  them  to  the  end,  or  rather  to  the  new  beginning,  fc 
as  they  fell  on  their  faces  before  His  disappearing  form  (v.  52)  their 
hearts  were  filled  with  joy,  and  there  have  never  since  been  wanting 
those  who  have  felt  the  joy  of  His  personal  blessing  in  their  lives. 


192       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXIII.— CI)e  Eeeorrcction 

Sixth  Day:  The  Resurrection  of  Jesus,  According  to  Paul.    I  Cor. 

15  :  1-8 

Long  before  our  Gospels  took  their  present  literary  form,  Paul's 
first  letter  to  the  Corinthians  was  written.  Its  date  was  between  twenty 
and  thirty  years  after  the  resurrection.  In  the  letter  Paul  refers  to 
an  earlier  time  when  he  was  preaching  to  the  Corinthians  the  resur- 
rection, and  to  a  still  earlier  time  when  he  had  himself  been  convinced 
of  it.  Read  I  Cor.  15:  1-8.  Almost  all  of  those  mentioned  by  Paul 
were  alive  when  he  wrote — Peter  and  James,  most  of  the  Twelve;  even 
of  the  five  hundred,  but  few  had  died.  The  church  of  the  resurrected 
Christ  was  in  existence  and  quietly  spreading  over  the  Roman  Empire. 

Personal  Thought :  It  is  an  historical  fact  that  the  apostles  supposed 
they  had  seen  Jesus.  In  some  way  they  had  come  to  feel  that  Jesus 
had  not  simply  gone  where  pious  Jews  went  at  death,  where  the  dead 
prophets  before  Him  had  gone.  They  believed  that  He  had  broken 
through  the  confines  of  the  spiritual  world  and  had  come  back  to 
the  men  that  He  loved;  that  He  was  in  a  state  of  spiritual  nearness 
to  them  which  made  it  practicable  for  them  to  speak  to  Him  in  prayer, 
and  which  enabled  Him  to  bring  His  personal  influence  directly 
to  bear  upon  their  spirits.  "Christ  liveth  in  me"  was  Paul's  report 
of  his  spiritual  experience.  The  Christian  church  has  ever  since 
perpetuated  this  testimony  in  its  report  of  personal  experience.  This 
belief  of  the  Christian  church,  from  the  apostles  down,  is  a  colossal 
historical  fact  that  must  be  accounted  for  in  some  way.  Various 
theoretical  explanations  have  been  advanced,  but  none  of  them  has 
stood  the  test  of  scientific  scrutiny  as  has  that  which  is  presented  in 
the  Gospel  narrative,  namely,  that  on  the  third  day  after  His  death, 
Jesus'  tomb  was  found  empty  and  He  Himself  in  bodily  form  was 
seen  by  His  disciples.  His  resurrection  was  not  a  mere  restoration 
to  previous  conditions,  like  that  experienced  by  the  young  man  of 
Nain;  it  was  rather  an  entrance  into  a  new  and  higher  form  of  per- 
sonal existence  in  which  He  has  access  to  the  spirits  of  all  willing 
men.  We  have  more  than  the  mere  religious  teacher,  Jesus  of  Naz- 
areth, to  be  classed  with  Confucius  and  Buddha.  We  have  a  Resur- 
rected Christ,  who  is  our  Living  Lord  and  Saviour. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       193 


Study  XXIIL— CI)e  Kegurrertion 

Seventh  Day:    The  Resurrection  of   Jesus,  According  to  John. 
John  20-21 

1.  We  shall  study  John's  Gospel  in  Part  II,  but  it  is  desirable  to 
read  rapidly  at  this  point  chapters  20  and  21. 

2.  Look  back  for  a  moment  upon  the  picture  of  Jesus  in  the  Synop- 
tic Gospels.  These  Gospels  have  made  no  effort  to  present  the  life 
of  Jesus  in  a  form  that  is  thought  essential  to  modern  biography. 
They  have  given  scarcely  a  hint  of  the  length  of  His  public  life ;  the 
order  of  events  in  His  pubHc  hfe  is  not  clear ;  but  what  He  did  and 
what  He  was  stand  out  with  unmistakable  clearness.  There  is  no 
doubt  as  to  what  kind  of  person  He  was,  and  it  is  this  personality 
that  stands  out  with  increasing  clearness  and  winsomeness.  Not 
merely  with  winsomeness,  but  with  a  kind  of  awesome,  persistent 
strength  which  convinces  one  that  Jesus  cannot  be  put  away  with 
the  men  of  the  past,  but  will  forevermore  press  on  irresistibly  into 
the  present  and  the  endless  future. 

Think  for  a  moment  what  a  tremendous  personal  consciousness 
has  been  reported  in  these  quiet  Gospel  pages.  Remember  His  pro- 
found interest  in  men  ;  His  expectation  of  continued  association  with 
men  after  His  death  ;  His  consciousness  of  power  to  judge  all  men, 
and  to  judge  them  by  their  attitude  towards  Himself;  His  conviction 
that  He  could  establish  and  administer  a  world-empire  of  brotherly 
men;  His  sense  of  being  able  to  suffer  in  such  a  way  as  to  bring  good 
to  all  men  ;  His  sense,  easily  sustained,  of  being  the  only  one  who 
could  show  men  what  kind  of  person  God  is  ;  His  sense  of  right  to 
the  supreme  affection  of  all  men.  Remember  the  deeds  of  power  that 
accompanied  this  unique  personal  consciousness, — deeds  of  power 
that  culminated  naturally  in  power  to  rise  from  the  dead.  Further- 
more, consider  that  this  marvelous  personal  consciousness  has  found 
sure  corroboration  in  the  effect  that  Jesus  has  shown  Himself  able 
to  produce  in  the  life  of  the  world.  WTiat  a  person  thinks  himself 
to  be,  and  the  corroboration  which  his  thought  of  Himself  finds  in 
what  he  shows  himself  able  to  do,  determine  in  the  most  fundamental 
way  who  he  is.  All  the  features  of  Jesus'  personal  consciousness 
mentioned  above  have  found  corroboration  in  the  effect  which  He 
has  shown  Himself  able  to  produce  upon  the  life  of  the  world.  His 
profound  interest  in  men  has  proven  so  virile  and  vital  as  to  live  through 
the  centuries,  and  to  be  recognized,  even  by  men  who  do  not  call  them- 


194       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


selves  His  disciples;  there  have  never  failed  to  be  men  who  believed 
themselves  to  live  in  personal  association  with  Him  as  He  expected; 
He  has  shown  Himself  able  to  judge  men  by  compelling  them  to  esti- 
mate their  conduct  by  His  standards;  the  establishment  of  His  empire 
of  brotherly  men  goes  on  to-day  as  the  greatest  enterprise  of  the 
twentieth  century;  men  in  all  nations  are  saying  "Christ  died  for  me;" 
the  world's  conception  of  Deity  to-day  is  shaped  by  the  standards  of 
Deity  revealed  in  the  life  and  character  of  Jesus  Christ;  He  has  won 
the  love  of  men,  and  men  in  every  nation  in  this  twentieth  century 
are  ready  to  die  for  love  of  Him.  He  has  proved  Him.self  by  the  in- 
vincible logic  of  events  oa  the  large  scale  of  the  world  of  the  twentieth 
century  to  be  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

"  Immortal  Love,  forever  full, 
Forever  flowing  free, 
Forever  shared,  forever  whole, 
A  never-ebbing  sea! 

"  Our  outward  lips  confess  the  name 
All  other  names  above; 
Love  only  knoweth  whence  it  came, 
And  comprehendeth  love. 

"  He  Cometh  not  a  king  to  reign  ; 
The  world's  long  hope  is  dim  ; 
The  weary  centuries  watch  in  vain 
The  clouds  of  heaven  for  Him. 

"  In  joy  of  inward  peace,  or  sense, 
Of  sorrow  over  sin. 
He  is  His  own  best  evidence, 
His  witness  is  within. 

"  Through  Him  the  first  fond  prayers  are  said, 
Our  lips  of  childhood  fi-ame, 
The  last  low  whispers  of  our  dead. 
Are  burdened  with  His  name. 

"  O  Lord  and  Master  of  us  all! 
Whate'er  our  name  or  sign. 
We  own  thy  sway,  we  hear  thy  call. 
We  test  our  lives  by  thine." 

Whittier,  Our  Master. 


PART    II 

STUDIES    IN   THE    LIFE    OF   JESUS    CHRIST   AS 
PRESENTED    IN   THE    GOSPEL   OF   JOHN 

Studies  xxiv-xxx 


Introductory   Note   on  John   and    His 

Gospel 

Side  by  side  with  the  Synoptic  Gospels  there  has  come  down  from 
the  early  church  another  Gospel,  so  unlike  them  in  some  particulars 
as  to  warrant  its  separate  consideration.  It  contains  new  incidents 
in  the  life  of  Jesus,  generally  attaches  to  these  incidents  discourses 
of  Jesus,  and  reports  these  discourses  in  a  literary  style  quite  unlike 
that  of  the  discourses  of  Jesus  in  the  Synoptic  Gospels. 

Of  all  the  New  Testament  writings,  this  Gospel  has  been  perhaps 
the  most  influential  in  shaping  the  religious  experience  of  men,  though 
not  in  determining  theological  phraseology.  In  the  deepest  experi- 
ences of  life,  generation  after  generation  of  men  have  turned  to  this 
book.  By  the  side  of  our  dead  we  hear  in  the  solemn  hush  of  the 
funeral  service,  "Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled";  in  the  sacredly 
joyous  moments  of  the  wedding  ceremony  we  allude  to  our  Lord's 
presence  at  the  wedding  in  Cana  of  Galilee,  which  this  Gospel  de- 
scribes; by  the  side  of  penitent  souls  being  born  into  eternal  life  we 
repeat  the  words,  "God  so  loved  the  world  that  He  gave  His  only 
begotten  Son";  to  the  doubtful  who  are  trying  to  hope  for  immortality 
we  bring  the  words  of  Jesus,  "He  that  believeth  in  me,  though  he  die, 
yet  shall  he  live";  restless  men  longing  for  peace  we  bid  hear  Him  say, 
"  My  peace  I  give  unto  you."  For  nineteen  centuries  men  and  women 
sorrowing,  hoping,  sinning,  repenting,  marrying,  and  dying  have  laid 
their  hands  on  this  piece  of  literature  and  heard  its  words  with  the 
irresistible  eagerness  of  the  deepest  emotions  of  which  human  nature 
is  capable. 

The  Gospel  is  dominated  by  a  distinct  and  clearly  expressed  pur- 
pose, namely,  to  make  such  a  presentation  of  Jesus  as  will  call  out  or 
strengthen  belief  in  Him  and  so  result  in  life.  Read  John  20:31. 
If  we  may  take  into  account  the  so-called  First  Epistle  of  John,  it  is 
evident  that  the  author's  clientage  had  suffered  seriously  from  the 
inroads  of  heresy.  A  considerable  part  had  left  them:  "They  went 
out  from  us,  but  they  were  not  of  us;  for  if  they  had  been  of  us,  they 
would  have  continued  with  us;  but  they  went  out,  that  they  might  be 
made  manifest  that  they  all  are  not  of  us"  (I  John  2:  19).  The 
general  nature  of  this  heresy  is  clearly  an  inadequate  view  of  Jesus, 
though  its  exact  character  is  not  evident.     The  author  emphasizes 

197 


198       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


repeatedly  the  superiority  of  Jesus  to  John  the  Baptist  (i :  6-8,  19-28, 
30;  3:26-30;  cf.  Acts  19:  1-6);  he  asserts  Jesus'  unique  relation  to 
God  (i :  1-19,  and  many  of  Jesus'  discourses),  the  reah'ty  of  His  human 
life  and  the  universah'ty  of  His  influence  (l :  9). 

The  locality  in  which  this  heresy  was  threatening  the  church  was 
one  in  which  the  so-called  "Logos"  teaching  was  current.  The 
Greek  word  "Logos,"  translated  "Word"  (John  I  :  l),  was  used  in 
the  Jewish  circles  of  Alexandria  in  North  Africa  to  designate  some- 
what vaguely  a  manifestation  of  God.  The  influence  of  this  Alexan- 
drian school  of  thought  was  not  confined  to  North  Africa,  but  extended, 
among  other  places,  into  Asia  Minor.  The  author  of  the  Gospel  does 
not  use  the  word  "Logos"  as  though  it  were  a  favorite  expression 
with  him,  for  it  occurs  only  in  the  beginning  of  his  Gospel  and  then 
is  dropped.  It  seems  rather  to  be  a  word  that  he  finds  current  among 
those  for  whom  he  writes,  and  that  he  uses  temporarily  for  the  sake 
of  making  his  own  thought  intelligible  to  those  who  are  attracted  by 
another  circle  of  ideas.  He  wishes  to  say  to  his  clientage :  "The  true 
'Logos'  of  whom  you  hear  them  speaking  is  He  who  appeared  in  the 
flesh  as  Jesus  Christ."  According  to  the  tradition  of  the  church, 
which  there  is  no  time  here  to  examine,  those  for  whom  the  Gospel 
was  primarily  written  lived  in  Asia  Minor. 

One  of  the  questions  of  modern  New  Testament  scholarship  is, 
Who  wrote  the  Fourth  Gospel  ?  In  the  appendix  to  the  Gospel  it  is 
asserted  (21  :  24)  that  the  one  who  wrote  this  Gospel  was  a  certain, 
well-known,  unnamed  disciple  described  as  "that  disciple  whom  Jesus 
loved"  (cf.  21  :  7,  20;  13:23).  In  the  Synoptic  Gospels  the  three 
disciples  who  are  conspicuous  for  the  intimacy  of  their  relation  to 
Jesus  were  Peter,  James,  and  John  (cf.  Mark  5:37;  9:2;  13:3; 
14:33).  John  21:20  makes  it  certain  that  "the  disciple  whom 
Jesus  loved"  was  not  Peter,  and  James  died  very  early  (Acts  12:  2). 
Therefore  it  is  concluded  that  the  author  was  John.  A  careful 
scrutiny  of  the  Gospel  shows  that  the  account  is  written  by,  or 
derived  from,  one  who  was  an  eye-witness  of  what  he  described. 
Many  evidences  of  this  will  appear  in  the  course  of  the  study.  For 
the  present  read  1:35-51;  2:6;  11:30.  Furthermore,  the  author 
seems  to  be  acquainted  with  the  Synoptic  narrative,  and  yet  not  to 
be  afraid  of  enlarging,  explaining,  and  sometimes  even  of  seeming 
to  contradict  it  {e.  g.  in  the  date  of  the  crucifixion).  He  also  betrays 
profound  sympathy  with  the  deepest  thoughts  of  Jesus,  and  carries 
them  out  apparently  in  accordance  with  his  own  modes  of  thought 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       199 


and  literary  style  to  a  fulness  of  expression  not  found  in  the  Synoptic 
Gospels.  With  one  possible  exception,  these  ideas  so  fully  developed 
are  found  at  least  in  embryo  in  the  Synoptic  Gospels.  The  thought 
ascribed  to  Jesus  in  the  Fourth  Gospel  is  a  consistent  and  necessary 
unfolding  of  the  thought  ascribed  to  Him  in  the  Synoptic  Gospels. 
If  we  ask  who  it  is  who  was  an  eye-witness  of  Jesus  and  His  deeds, 
who  knew  the  Synoptic  Gospels  but  was  not  afraid  to  seem  to  correct 
them,  who  knew  the  deepest  thought  of  Jesus  and  felt  himself 
inspired  to  express  it  in  his  own  modes  of  thought  and  literary  style, 
we  need  not  refuse  to  say  "the  apostle  John." 

The  tendency  of  radical  New  Testament  scholarship  has  been 
strongly  toward  the  ascription  of  the  Gospel  indirectly  to  John,  that  is, 
to  a  Johannine  circle,  but  it  has  somewhat  decisively  of  late  stopped 
short  of  ascribing  it  directly  to  him.  The  many  critical  questions 
that  arise  in  this  connection  cannot  receive  attention  in  a  book  of 
this  scope.  It  will  be  assumed  in  all  the  studies  that  the  author  is 
John. 

John  was  a  man  of  the  northern  province  of  Palestine,  a  fish  packer 
with  his  father  and  brother.  His  mother  was  a  woman  of  religious 
temperament  who  had  much  to  do  with  Jesus  (Matt.  27 :  56).  She 
was  a  forceful,  ambitious  woman  who  retained  her  influence  over  her 
sons  after  they  were  men  (Matt.  20 :  20).  If  John  is  the  unnamed 
man  in  John  1 :  40,  evidently  he  belonged  to  the  company  of  intense 
and  enthusiastic  young  men  who  gathered  about  the  prophet  of  the 
wilderness,  John  the  Baptist,  and  yielded  themselves  to  the  potent 
influence  of  his  strenuous  spirit.  Then  he  came  under  the  influence 
of  Jesus  as  Jesus'  most  intimate  friend.  In  the  early  years  of  the 
history  of  the  church  he  appears  twice,  both  times  in  connection  with 
Peter  (Acts  3  :  i ;  4 :  19;  8  :  14).  Later,  in  Gal.  2  :  9,  he  was  acknowl- 
edged by  Paul  to  be  one  of  the  leading  men  of  the  Jerusalem  church. 
If  he  wrote  the  Book  of  Revelation  he  was  certainly  a  man  of  influence 
in  Asia  Minor  (Rev.  i  :4).  In  this  region  in  later  years  he  would 
have  come  under  the  influence  of  Paul's  writings,  and  his  Gospel  shows 
decided  traces  of  such  influence.  By  the  tradition  of  the  church  he 
wrote  his  Gospel  in  Asia  Minor  toward  the  end  of  the  first  century. 
He  is  said  to  have  lived  to  a  great  age  and  finally  to  have  become  so 
feeble  that  he  had  to  be  carried  into  the  church  and  had  strength 
simply  to  say,  "Little  children,  love  one  another." 


aoo       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XKYV.—^tms,  t|)c  Revelation  of  (BoVfi  (?5race  anU  CrutI), 
^itjtUcB;  tbc  J^latton 

First  Day:    The  Author  of  the  Gospel 

There  was  a  time  when  the  Gospel  of  John  was  not.  Then  it  took 
shape  in  some  man's  mind,  and  afterwards  the  objective  form  in  which 
we  have  it.  The  author  makes  much  of  the  fact  that  his  Gospel  had 
its  source  in  his  own  personal  experience  with  Jesus.  Read  i  :  14; 
ig  :  35.  It  was  in  some  sense  a  personal  testimony.  This  is  brought 
out  clearly  in  the  First  Epistle  of  John,  which  may  be  regarded  either 
as  a  kind  of  postscript  or  as  a  kind  of  prefatory  note  to  the  Gospel. 
Read  I  John  i  :  1-3.  Read  the  Introductory  Note  on  John  and  his 
Gospel,  omitting  the  references. 

"I'm  growing  very  old.      This  weary  head 
That  hath  so  often  leaned  on  Jesus'  breast. 
In  days  long  past  that  seem  almost  a  dream, 
Is  bent  and  hoary  with  its  weight  of  years. 
These  limbs  that  followed  Him — my  Master — oft 
From  Galilee  to  Judah;  yea,  that  stood 
Beneath  the  cross,  and  trembled  with  His  groans, 
Refuse  to  bear  me  even  through  the  streets 
To  preach  unto  my  children.      E'en  my  lips 
Refuse  to  form  the  words  my  heart  sends  forth. 
My  ears  are  dull,  they  scarcely  hear  the  sobs 
Of  my  dear  children  gathered  round  my  couch; 
God  lays  His  hand  upon  me — yea,  His  hand} 
And  not  His  rod — the  gentle  hand  that  I 
Felt,  those  three  years,  so  often  pressed  in  mine, 
In  friendship  such  as  passeth  woman's  love. 

I'm  old;  so  old  I  cannot  recollect 
The  faces  of  my  friends ;  and  I  forget 
The  words  and  deeds  that  make  up  daily  life : 
But  that  dear  face,  and  every  word  He  spoke, 
Grow  more  distinct  as  others  fade  away. 
So  that  I  live  with  Him  and  holy  dead 
More  than  with  living. 

Some  seventy  years  ago 
I  was  a  fisher  by  the  sacred  sea. 
It  was  at  sunset.      How  the  tranquil  tide 
Bathed  dreamily  the  pebbles!      How  the  light 
Crept  up  the  distant  hills  and  in  its  wake 
Soft  purple  shadows  wrapped  the  dewy  fields ! 
And  then  He  came  and  called  me.      Then  I  gazed, 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       aoi 


For  the  first  time,  on  that  sweet  face.      Those  eyes, 
From  out  of  which,  as  from  a  window,  shone 
Divinity,  looked  on  the  inmost  soul, 
And  lighted  it  forever.      Then  His  words 
Broke  on  the  silence  of  my  heart  and  made 
The  whole  world  musical.      Incarnate  Love 
Took  hold  of  me  and  claimed  me  for  its  own. 
I  followed  in  the  twilight,  holding  fast 
His  mantle. 

O,  what  holy  walks  we  had. 
Through  harvest  fields,  and  desolate,  dreary  wastes! 
And  oftentimes  He  leaned  upon  my  arm. 
Wearied  and  way-worn.      I  was  young  and  strong, 
And  so  upbore  Him.      Lord,  now  I  am  weak. 
And  old,  and  feeble!     Let  me  rest  on  Thee! 
So,  put  Thine  arm  around  me.      Closer  still! 
How  strong  Thou  art!      The  twilight  draws  apace, 
Come,  let  us  leave  these  noisy  streets  and  take 
The  path  to  Bethany;  for  Mary's  smile 
Awaits  us  at  the  gate,  and  Martha's  hands 
Have  long  prepared  the  cheerful  evening  meal. 
Come,  James,  the  Master  waits;  and  Peter,  see, 
Has  gone  some  steps  before. 

What  say  you,  friends  ? 
That  this  is  Ephesus,  and  Christ  has  gone 
Back  to  His  kingdom  ?      Ay,  'tis  so,  'tis  so, 
I  know  it  all ;  and  yet,  just  now,  I  seemed 
To  stand  once  more  upon  my  native  hills. 
And  touch  His  garments — bringing  back  the  strength 
To  palsied  limbs  !      I  feel  it  has  to  mine. 
Up!  bear  me  once  more  to  my  church!     Once  more. 
There  let  me  tell  them  of  a  Saviour's  love; 
For,  by  the  sweetness  of  my  Master's  voice 
Just  now,  I  think  He  must  be  very  near — 
Coming,  I  trust,  to  break  the  vail,  which  time 
Has  worn  so  thin  that  I  can  see  beyond 
And  watch  His  footsteps. 

So,  raise  up  my  head. 
How  dark  it  is!     I  cannot  seem  to  see 
The  faces  of  my  flock.      Is  that  the  sea 
That  murmurs  so,  or  is  it  weeping !      Hush, 
My  little  children  !      God  so  loved  the  world 
He  gave  His  Son.      So  love  ye  one  another. 
Love  God  and  man.      Amen.      Now  bear  me  back^ 
My  legacy  unto  the  world  is  this. 
My  work  is  finished.      Are  the  streets  so  full  ? 


202       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


What,  call  the  folk  my  name  ?     The  Holy  John  ? 
Nay,  write  me  rather  Jesus  Christ's  beloved. 
And  lover  of  my  children. 

Lay  me  down 
Once  more  upon  my  couch,  and  open  wide 
The  eastern  window.      See,  there  comes  a  light 
Like  that  which  broke  upon  my  soul  at  eve, 
When,  in  the  dreary  Isle  of  Patmos,  Gabriel  came 
And  touched  me  on  the  shoulder.     See,  it  grows 
As  when  he  mounted  toward  the  pearly  gates. 
I  know  the  way!      I  trod  it  once  before. 
And  hark!  it  is  the  song  the  ransomed  sang 
Of  glory  to  the  Lamb!     How  loud  it  sounds! 
And  that  unwritten  one !      Methinks  my  soul 
Can  join  it  now.      But  who  are  these  who  crowd 
The  shining  way  ?     Say — joy  !   'tis  the  eleven. 
With  Peter  first!     How  eagerly  he  looks! 
How  bright  the  smiles  are  beaming  on  James'  facel 
I  am  the  last.      Once  more  we  are  complete 
To  gather  round  the  Paschal  feast.      My  place 
Is  next  my  Master."    O,  my  Lord,  my  Lord! 
How  bright  Thou  art  !   and  yet  the  very  same 
I  loved  in  Galilee.      'Tis  worth  the  hundred  years 
To  feel  this  bliss  !      So  lift  me  up,  dear  Lord  ; 
Unto  Thy  bosom.     There  shall  I  abide." 

Anonymous,  St.  John  the  Agzd. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       203 


Study  XXIV.— STesus,  t^c  Krtelation  oi  (Btn'ti  <3vut  anU  CrtttI), 
^M'at6  tfie  jQatton 

Second  Day:  The  Plan  of  the  Gospel 

1.  The  plan  of  the  Gospel  is  outlined  in  the  so-called  "prologue," 
that  is,  the  first  eighteen  verses,  and  is  exceedingly  simple,  jfesus 
Christy  a  manifestation  of  the  grace  and  truth  of  God,  the  Unseen  Father, 
presents  Himself  to  all  men;  some  refuse  Him,  but  others  believe  in 
Him  and  have  life.  Read  rapidly  vv.  1-18.  After  the  prologue  there 
follows  a  series  of  historical  instances  in  which  Jesus  presents  Him- 
self either  to  groups  or  individuals,  showing  more  or  less  distinctly 
the  grace  and  truth  of  God,  and  in  each  of  these  instances  John  takes 
pains  to  point  out  the  consequent  belief  or  unbelief.  These  mani- 
festations John  regards  as  "signs."  In  order  that  this  dominant 
idea  of  the  Gospel  may  clearly  appear,  look  up  carefully  all  of  the 
following:  1:50;  2:11,  23;  4:39-42,  S'i'^  S-3>^'y  6:66,  69;  7:31, 
43;  8:30;  9:34,  38;  10:  31,  38,  39;  11:27;  12:37,  42.  Finally, 
the  author  hopes  that  this  presentation  of  Jesus  in  his  Gospel  will 
lead  his  readers  to  resist  heresy  and  keep  on  believing  in  Jesus  in 
such  a  way  as  to  have  life.     Read  20 :  30-31. 

2.  The  Gospel  divides  into  three  parts  after  the  prologue.  The 
first  division  is  I  :  19—12  :  ^O:  A  series  of  manifestations  of  Jesus  as  the 
grace  and  truth  of  the  Father,  resulting  in  belief  and  unbelief  in  the 
nation;  and  at  the  close  of  the  series,  a  solemn  condemnation  of  the  un- 
belief of  the  national  leaders.  In  justification  of  the  last  clause  read 
carefully  the  last  words  of  the  section,  namely,  12:37-50. 

The  second  main  division  is  chapters  13-17:  A  private  and  most 
complete  manifestation  of  Himself  to  His  disciples,  resulting  in  belief. 
For  the  present  read  only  16:  29-30,  which  describes  the  result. 

The  third  main  division  is  chapters  18-20:  Final  manifestation  of 
God's  grace  and  truth  in  Jesus'  death  and  resurrection,  resulting  in 
belief.  For  the  present  read  only  20 :  24-28,  near  the  end  of  the 
division. 

The  Gospel  ends  with  20 :  31.  Chapter  21  is  added  as  an  appendix, 
the  reason  for  which  will  be  considered  later. 

Personal  Thought :  "  But  these  are  written  that  ye  may  believe  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God"  (20:  31).  Faith  is  strengthened 
when  one  sees  clearly  the  person  who  is  the  object  of  faith.  The 
result  of  these  weeks  of  study  ought  to  be  such  a  clearer  vision  of  Jesus 
Clirist  as  shall  constrain  a  more  confident  faith  in  Him. 


204       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXIV.— ^efioc,  tl)c  Ectjclation  of  (0oti'6  (Sracc  anTi  Crnt!), 
DiUiUcc  tl)c  JllJation 

Third  Day:   The  Prologue.    John  i:i-i8 

Read  once  more  1 : 1-18.  It  becomes  immediately  evident  that  when 
the  Gospel  was  written  a  far  higher  conception  of  Messiahship  pre- 
vailed than  that  which  Jesus  found  current  among  the  Jews  when 
Peter  felt  that  his  Messiah  was  one  who  could  blunder  and  be  in  need 
of  corrective  counsel  (Mark  8  :  31-32).  We  come  here  upon  the  high 
Christian  conception  of  Messiahship  into  which  Jesus  transformed 
the  lower  Jewish  conception.  The  change  had  taken  place  long 
before  this  Gospel  was  written,  for  the  higher  conception  appears 
with  entire  distinctness  in  the  writings  of  Paul  {e.g.  Col.  1:15-17; 
Phil.  2  :  5-1 1).  When,  after  Jesus'  resurrection,  believers  began  to  see 
that  He  had  been  nothing  less  than  a  flawless  manifestation  of  God 
to  men,  it  was  not  difficult  to  think  of  Him  as  an  eternal  manifestation 
of  God,  to  believe  that  whatever  God  had  ever  done  had  been  done 
through  the  eternal  Christ.  In  vv.  1-4  the  author  evidently  has  the 
the  first  chapter  of  Genesis  in  mind,  and  from  this  narrative  in  Genesis 
he  catches  up  the  suggestive  words  "  life,"  "  light,"  "  darkness."  Read 
the  first  verses  of  Genesis. 

In  order  to  understand  the  Gospel  it  is  necessary  to  consider  some- 
what carefully  the  ideas  of  the  prologue:  (i)  Jesus  Christ  is  tue 
"Logos"  of  whom  the  author's  contemporaries  talk  so  much.  The 
author's  distinctive  position  is  that  the  Logos  actually  became  flesh 
as  the  historical  character,  Jesus  Christ  (v.  14).  (2)  Jesus  Christ, 
therefore,  is  the  revelation  of  the  unseen  God.  No  man  ever  saw 
God,  but  we  know  what  kind  of  person  He  is.  He  is  the  kind  of 
person  that  we  have  found  Jesus  Christ  to  be.  Read  vv.  14-18.  (3) 
The  two  fundamental  characteristics  of  the  unseen  God  which  appear 
in  perfection  in  the  life  of  Jesus  Christ  are  "grace  and  truth"  (vv.  14, 
17);  that  is.  a  beautiful,  fascinatingkindness,  and  the  exact  report  in  life 
and  word  of  things  as  they  are,  or,  roughly  speaking,  honesty.  The 
two  traits  that  stood  out  in  the  character  of  Jesus,  as  John 
looked  across  the  decades  to  his  months  of  intimate  association  with 
Him,  were  such  kindness  and  honesty  as  constituted  Him  a  perfect 
revelation  of  the  unseen  God  (v.  14).  They  welled  up  abundantly 
in  Him;  His  friends  experienced  instance  after  instance  of  His  kind- 
ness (v.  16).  The  author  had  known  and  valued  the  law  of  Moses, 
as  his  contemporaries  perhaps  overvalued  it,  but  they  had  found  in 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       205 


Moses  no  such  incarnation  of  God's  kindness  and  sin::erity  as  Jesus 
Christ  in  His  own  person  brought  to  them  (v.  17).  (4)  The  results 
of  the  approach  to  man  of  this  incarnation  of  God's  kindness  and 
sincerity  were  twofold :  (a)  Some  did  not  recognize  Him.  He  came 
like  a  light  into  darkness.  That  which  constituted  Him  moral  light 
was  His  flawless  kindness  and  sincerity ;  that  which  constituted 
others'  moral  darkness  was  their  hate  and  insincerity.  Read  I  John 
2:  9-1 1.  Jesus  stole  in  upon  a  world  of  ill-will  and  insincerity  as  noise- 
lessly as  the  light.  At  first  He  was  not  recognized.  The  references 
to  Him  in  the  profane  literature  of  the  first  decades  after  His  death 
are  exceedingly  meagre.  Someone  has  said  that  the  pagan  world 
looked  at  Him  with  the  unrecognizing  bovine  stare  of  the  cattle  who 
saw  Him  as  a  babe  in  the  manger.  But  before  long  like  a  light  He 
was  shining  everywhere,  and  even  the  Roman  Emperor  was  a  Christian, 
(b)  Others  at  once  believed  in  Him;  that  is,  recognized  Him  as  the 
revelation  of  God  and  treated  Him  as  such.  This  gave  them  life;  that 
is,  brought  them  into  correspondence  with  their  personal,  spiritual 
environment,  God  and  man,  which  constitutes  life.  Read  the  author's 
view  of  "life"  in  his  report  of  Jesus'  words  (17  :  3).  By  virtue  of  their 
attachment  of  themselves  in  faith  to  Jesus  they  entered  into  a  rela- 
tionship to  God  so  close  as  to  be  described  by  a  term  no  less  signifi- 
cant than  "children  of  God"  (v.  12).  God  Himself  was  the  author 
of  the  relationship  (v.  13). 

As  has  been  already  suggested  in  the  Introductory  Note,  there  are 
certain  heretical  ideas  in  view  of  which  the  author  makes  some  of 
the  statements  in  this  prologue.  It  is  not  possible  to  state  these 
heretical  views  with  clearness.  Perhaps  the  repetitions  in  vv.  1-3 
indicate  that  the  author's  Christian  Logos  was  a  more  exalted 
personage  than  the  Logos  of  the  others;  some  may  have  been  over- 
estimating John  the  Baptist  (vv.  8,  9,  15);  some  may  have  been 
inclined  to  urge  special  spiritual  attainments  for  a  select  class,  rather 
than  to  hold  the  democratic  ideas  of  the  author  (v.  9);  they  seem  cer- 
tainly to  have  questioned  the  actual  flesh  and  blood  existence  of  Jesus 
Christ  (v.  14;  cf.  I  John  4 :  2-3).  For  all  these  ideas  the  author  knows 
only  one  remedy:  to  draw  the  portrait  of  Jesus  Christ  as  he  himself 
knew  Him. 

Personal  Thought:  "He  hath  declared  Him."  We  know  now  that 
the  unseen  God  is  infinitely  kind  and  honest,  and  that  there  is  there- 
fore no  fellowship  with  Him  possible  except  to  one  who  is  himself  ready 
to  become  kind  and  honest. 


2o6       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXIV.— 3re£iU6,  tljt  Kttclatiott  of  (25ot>'6  <3xut  aoU  CrutI), 
£)ititlic6  tlje  Batian 

Fourth  Day:  John  the  Baptist's  Testimony  to  Jesus.    John  i: 

19-36 

1,  Read  1 :  19-28.  The  delegation  of  smug  ecclesiastics  from  the 
city  is  gathered  about  this  strange  rough  man  from  the  wilderness 
inspecting  him.  Evidently  he  has  been  at  work  for  some  time,  and 
is  now  being  called  upon  in  semi-formal  fashion  to  give  account  of 
himself  to  the  religious  authorities  in  Jerusalem.  Those  who  sent 
the  delegation  are  called  "Jews."  At  the  time  when  the  Gospel  was 
written  the  Jews  as  a  nation  stood  out  historically  as  the  opponents 
of  Christianity,  and  would  be  spoken  of  in  this  way  even  by  a  Chris- 
tian who  was  himself  by  race  a  Jew. 

2.  Read  vv.  29-36.  The  narrative  reads  as  though  it  were  related 
by  one  of  the  inner  circle  of  John's  disciples  who  knew  what  happened 
on  each  successive  day  (vv.  29,  35,  43  ;  2:1).  To  the  public  John  the 
Baptist  announced  simply  that  some  great  personage  would  soon 
appear  (vv.  26-27);  *°  ^^^  small  inner  circle  of  his  own  disciples  he 
announced  that  this  greater  person  was  Jesus,  and  that  Jesus  was  the 
Messiah  (v.  34).  That  he  did  not  announce  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus 
to  the  main  body  of  his  disciples  is  evident  from  3 :  23-29. 

It  is  difficult  to  determine  what  is  meant  by  1 :  29.  "  Lamb  of  God  " 
was  not  a  Messianic  designation.  It  seems  hardly  probable  that  John 
the  Baptist  expected  Jesus  to  die.  Very  likely  the  phrase  "Lamb  of 
God"  came  to  John  the  Baptist  from  his  favorite  prophet  Isaiah,  and 
seemed  to  him  to  describe  the  quiet,  unresisting  (Is.  53:  7)  aspect  of 
Messiahship.  This  phase  of  Messiahship  perhaps  became  more 
prominent  in  his  thought  after  the  surprising  discovery  that  his  quiet 
kinsman  in  Nazareth  was  the  Messiah.  The  Messiah  was  expected 
by  everyone  to  purify  His  people.  The  exclamation  would  then 
mean,  "  Behold  the  peaceful,  unresisting  Messiah  who  purifies  the 
world."  By  the  rime  the  Gospel  was  written  the  sacrificial  death  of 
Jesus  was  thoroughly  recognized,  and  the  words  would  have  sug- 
gested to  the  author  of  the  Gospel  a  larger  meaning  than  that  which 
they  originally  had. 

Personal  Thought:  "Which  takcth  away  the  sin  of  the  world." 
Remember,  that  Jesus  Christ  will  surely  purify  the  world,  its  homes, 
its  business,  its  governments,  its  insdtutions,  in  all  ladtudes  and 
longitudes. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       207 


Study  XXIV.— ^Tejittfii,  t\)t  Kebclation  of  (SaU's  (Bvntt  anU  Crutf), 
£)i\)iBe6  il)t  -Bation 

Fifth  Day:  The  Beginning  of  the  Eternal  Friendship.    John  i: 

37-51 

Read  John  1 :  37-51  in  the  light  of  the  following  summary:  Jesus 
shows  to  the  inner  circle  of  the  Baptist's  disciples  a  gracious  frtenun- 
ness  (vv.  38,  39,  43)  and  penetrating  sincerity  (vv.  42,  47,  48)  that  win 
a  belief  (vv.  41,  j\.g)  which  Jesus  encourages  (vv.  50-51).  Evidently  it 
was  not  official  recognition,  but  personal  friendship  that  Jesus  sought 
to  secure  in  order  to  reveal  the  friendliness  and  honesty,  "grace  and 
truth,"  of  the  Unseen  Father  to  this  group  of  young  men  in  whose 
minds  patriotism  and  religious  enthusiasm  were  combined.  John  re- 
members every  detail  of  the  circumstances  under  which  the  everlasting 
friendship  began.  What  did  they  probably  talk  about  in  Jesus'  lodging 
throughout  the  late  afternoon  and  evening  (v.  39)  ?  Before  the  con- 
versation began  Andrewhurriedawayto  bring  his  brother  (v.  41).  Jesus 
had  either  known  Philip  before,  or  heard  about  him  from  John  the  Bap- 
tist as  a  promising  man  (v.  43).  Jesus  gladly  recognized  in  Nathanael 
a  sincere  man  (v.  47),  free  from  the  religious  hypocrisy  of  the  day. 
Apparently  Nathanael  had  been  passing  through  some  sort  of  spiritual 
crisis  under  the  fig  tree.  The  region  was  full  of  devoutly  thoughtful 
people  attracted  by  John  the  Baptist's  preaching,  and  Nathanael  may 
have  gone  out  to  be  alone  under  this  fig  tree.  Perhaps  he  had  been 
thinking  of  God's  promise  of  the  land  to  Jacob  when  Jacob  dreamed 
that  he  saw  God  at  the  head  of  the  angel  ladder.  Read  Gen.  28  :  10-15. 
The  passage  may  easily  have  seemed  to  Nathanael,  whose  mind  was 
full  of  Messianic  ideas,  to  have  a  Messianic  significance.  Jesus 
was  to  be  a  revelation  of  God  that  would  open  the  very  heart  of 
heaven,  and  was  to  be  a  means  of  communication  between  heaven 
and  earth.  What  did  Philip  expect  Nathanael  to  "see"  in  Jesus  that 
would  make  the  theory  of  Jesus'  Messiahship  seem  reasonable  (v.  46)  : 
Notice  the  scientific  character  of  his  proposal :  experience  is  the  result 
of  experiment. 

Personal  Thought:  "He  brought  him  to  Jesus."  In  this  simple 
commonplace  way  personal  relationships  with  Jesus  were  established 
which  constituted  the  foundation  of  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ.  The 
fish  business,  the  oil  industry,  the  importation  of  salt,  were  going  on 
as  usual,  but  that  which  has  affected  the  life  of  the  world  ever  since 
is  these  new  personal  relationships  with  Jesus. 


!2o8        Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXIV.— ^cfiafit,  tl)e  Krtclation  of  (Soti'ti  (0race  anH  (Scroti), 
3;)tbtlif6  t\)t  Batton 

Sixth  Day:  Jesus  Manifests  His  Friendliness  at  a  Wedding.    John 

2: i-ii. 

Jesus  did  not  hurry  to  Jerusalem  to  connect  Himself  officially  with 
the  ecclesiastical  machine  that  had  sent  its  delegation  to  inspect  John 
the  Baptist.  His  plan  was  not  to  be  an  official  Messiah  and  to  secure 
official  connection  with  the  nation's  ecclesiastical  organization.  He 
proposed  rather  to  reform  the  nation  by  bringing  the  friendliness  and 
sincerity  of  the  Unseen  God  to  bear  upon  its  real  life.  Therefore  He 
turned  to  the  heart  of  the  nation,  its  homes  and  its  social  life,  its  sick 
beds,  its  little  children,  its  individual  hopes  and  cares  and  fears.  He 
would  use  power  in  friendly  fashion  to  meet  commonplace  needs  rather 
than  to  attempt  a  great  political  coup  d'etat.  He  went  not  to  Jeru- 
salem, but  to  Galilee.  The  Great  Friend,  beginning  with  what  was 
at  hand  and  most  natural,  hastened  back  to  the  vicinity  of  Nazareth 
to  be  present  at  the  wedding  of  a  family  friend.  Jesus  prevented  the 
chagrin  of  a  bridal  couple  in  Cana,  at  whose  wedding  party  the  %utne 
failed,  and  His  disciples  believed  in  Him  (2:  l-ll).  Read  the  para- 
graph. We  probably  do  not  realize  what  lifelong  discomfort  a  young 
bridal  couple  living  in  these  villages  would  have  experienced  in  case 
the  wedding  festivities  had  been  stopped  by  the  failure  of  the  supply 
of  wine.  Attendance  upon  these  wedding  festivities  was  probably 
a  new  experience  for  such  of  Jesus'  disciples  as  had  previously  been 
disciples  of  John  the  Baptist  (cf.  Matt.  Il:i8).  The  Greek  word 
translated  "woman"  in  v.  4  is  used  in  very  respectful,  though  some- 
what dignified,  address.  Jesus  respectfully  refuses  to  act  upon  any 
other  suggestion  than  that  which  might  come  from  His  Father.  It  was 
by  adhering  to  this  principle  that  He  was  to  become  the  flawless  reve- 
lation of  God.  Why  did  His  mother  think  that  He  could  do  anything 
to  relieve  the  situation  .?  What  was  there  in  this  act  that  could  be 
considered  a  manifestation  of  "glory"  (v.  11).'' 

Personal  Thought:  "Not  yet"  (v.  4).  The  self-control  and  per- 
fect poise  with  which  Jesus  exercised  His  Messianic  power  was  very 
significant.  In  the  face  of  the  world's  great  needs  that  cry  out  to  us 
we  sometimes  have  occasion  during  the  long  years  of  faithful  prep- 
aration to  say,  "Not  yet." 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       209 


Study  XXIV.— Scfiufi,  t()e  KcUelatian  of  (StiU'ii  (Sv^tt  anU  QTrut^, 
^ibiticfi  t^c  JitJation 

Seventh  Day:  Jesus  Visits  the  Capital  and  Finds  Only  One  Man 
at  all  Prepared  for  Him.     John  2:12-3:21 

Read  John  2  :  12-3  :  21  in  the  light  of  the  following  summary :  The 
honest  indignation  of  Jesus  flamed  out  against  the  dishonest  (Mark 
11:17)  ^ozaar  men  who  were  desecrating  the  temple  at  the  Passover 
season;  He  did  miracles  in  the  Jerusalem  streets  (2:23;  3:2),  the 
result  being  the  beginnings  of  unbelief  (2:  17-20)  and  also  of  a  super- 
ficial belief  which  Jesus  knew  better  than  to  trust  (2:23-25);  though 
to  one  candid  man  He  spoke  with  searching  sincerity  (3:  lO-ll)  and 
kindly  urgency,  about  the  necessity  of  belief  (3:  14-15).  The  author 
speaks  impressively  of  belief  in  Jesus  and  resulting  life  (3:16-21). 
Review  what  was  said  in  Study  XVIII,  Third  Day,  regarding  the 
scene  described  here  in  2:  13-21.  It  is  uncertain  whether  this  is  the 
incident  which  the  Synoptic  Gospels  assign  to  the  last  week  of  Jesus' 
life.  There  would  seem  to  be  no  reason  why  Jesus  should  do  only  once 
what  is  here  described.  His  indignation  would  naturally  have  been 
stirred  at  every  Passover  at  which  He  found  the  scandal  tolerated.  He 
did  not  do  such  things  professionally  and  once  for  all,  but  with  strong 
personal  feeling.  The  fierceness  of  His  indignation  seemed  to  His 
disciples  fairly  to  consume  Him  (v.  17).  In  v.  19  the  enigmatical  style 
of  Jesus  in  the  Synoptic  Gospels  reappears.  It  was  in  Himself,  rather 
than  in  the  temple,  that  God  dwelt.  In  v.  22  the  author  indicates 
familiarity  with  the  working  of  the  apostles'  minds  which  would  be 
natural  in  case  he  were  himself  an  apostle. 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  leaders  held  critically  aloof  from  Jesus 
(2 :  18),  the  statement  in  v.  23  seems  to  imply  that  many  in  Jerusalem 
began  to  surmise  that  Jesus  was  a  great  prophet  from  God,  and  would 
even  have  accepted  Him  as  Messiah  in  case  He  had  announced  Him- 
self as  such.  What  the  people  expected  of  the  Messiah  was  so  differ- 
ent from  what  Jesus  was  willing  to  do,  that  He  did  not  venture  to 
declare  His  Messiahship  (2 :  23-25).  There  was,  however,  one  man 
in  Jerusalem  to  whom  Jesus  could  speak  with  less  reserve.  He  was, 
strangely  enough,  a  member  of  the  Sanhedrin.  Did  Nicodemus 
regard  Jesus  as  the  Messiah  ^  What  point  did  Jesus  wish  to  make  in 
this  conversation  (3 :  1-15)  and  how  did  He  make  it  ^  Who  are  "we" 
in  v.  II  ? 

Personal  Thought:  There  is  always  new  truth  for  the  candid  man. 


2IO       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXV,— JffiittB,  tl)e  E^bclation  of  (Boti'ti  (Sract  nnti  Crnt|), 

aDitoiUCBl  t})t  JBation  {Continued) 

First  Day:  Jesus  Visits  the  Capital  and  Finds  Only  One  Man  at 
all  Prepared  for  Him  (continued).     John  3:1-21 

In  order  to  understand  the  conversation  of  Jesus  and  Nicodemus  it  is 
necessary  to  remember  that  everyone  was  talking  of  John  the  Baptist 
and  his  announcement  of  the  nearness  of  the  Kingdom;  that  existence 
in  the  Kingdom  was  commonly  thought  of  as  eternal  life  (cf.  Mark 
10:  17,  23);  that  the  beginning  of  life  might  naturally  be  spoken  of 
as  a  "  binh."  Compare  the  text  with  the  following  paraphrase  of  the 
conversation : 

Nicodemus:  "Rabbi,  we  know  that  no  one  could  do  the  things  you 
have  done  in  our  streets  unless  God  were  with  him"  (v.  2). 

Jesus:  "You  want  to  ask  me  about  the  Kingdom  of  God.  I  have 
this  to  say  with  great  conviction :  no  one  will  ever  see  the  Kingdom 
unless  he  is  born  from  above"  (v.  3). 

Nicodemus:  "It  is  impossible  for  a  man  to  be  born  a  second  time" 

(v.  4). 

Jesus:  "I  assure  you  solemnly  that  no  man  will  ever  enter  the  New 
Order  unless  he  be  born  of  water  and  spirit.  You  Pharisees  have 
made  a  great  mistake  in  failing  to  identify  yourselves  with  John  the 
Baptist,  who  called  men  to  a  water  baptism  and  predicted  a  Spirit 
baptism  (vv.  5-6).  Do  not  let  the  mystery  of  it  prevent  your  believing 
the  fact  of  it.  There  is  mystery  about  the  spirit  of  the  air.  It  blows 
where  it  will  and  you  hear  its  voice  this  windy  night,  but  you  do  not 
know  its  source  or  destination,  its  whence  or  whither.  So  it  is  when 
the  personal  Spirit  of  God  brings  a  man  into  new  life"  (vv.  7-8). 

Nicodemus:  "I  do  not  see  how  it  can  be"  (v.  9). 

Jesus:  "Are  you  one  who  pretends  to  be  a  religious  teacher  of  the 
people  and  yet  is  ignorant  of  these  rudimentary  truths  (v.  10)  ?  John 
and  I  have  spoken  out  of  our  personal  experience,  but  you  Pharisees 
have  not  been  willing  to  accept  our  testimony  (v.  11).  If  you  do  not 
understand  the  elementary  truths  of  the  new  life,  how  would  you  un- 
derstand the  advanced  truths  of  life  in  its  heavenly  stages  if  I  were  to 
speak  them  to  you  (v.  12) .''  I  who  have  come  from  heaven  am  the 
only  source  of  information  in  these  matters  (v.  13).  I  am  to  be  con- 
spicuously lifted  up,  like  Moses'  brass  serpent,  as  a  source  of  life, 
that  whoever  believes  in  me  may  have  life"  (vv.  14-15). 

Personal  Thought:  See  Personal  Thought,  Study  II,  Third  Day. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       211 


Study  XXV.— 3'ffiiUfi;,  t})t  KcDcIation  of  ^oU'fii  (0racc  anU  Crutl^, 

E)ibitlC£i  t|)C  jQation  (Continued) 

Second  Day:    Jesus  Visits  the  Capital  and  Finds  Only  One  Man 
at  all  Prepared  for  Him  (concluded).     John  3:1-21 

1.  The  expression  "lifted  up"  (v.  14)  probably  meant  to  Nico- 
demus  "made  conspicuous,"  or  perhaps  even  "enthroned,"  and 
probably  suggested  to  his  mind,  when  taken  in  connection  with  v.  13, 
that  Jesus  thought  Himself  to  be  the  Messiah.  To  the  mind  of  Jesus, 
as  appears  later,  the  phrase  suggested  death  (of.  12:32-33).  John 
does  not  specify  here  as  usual  whether  this  conversation  resulted  in 
Nicodemus'  belief  or  unbelief,  but  later  in  the  Gospel  he  alludes  to 
him  in  a  way  that  does  not  leave  the  matter  uncertain. 

2.  Read  vv.  16-21,  which  are  probably  the  comment  of  John  and 
not  a  part  of  Jesus'  conversation.  This  short  paragraph  is  full  of 
great  thoughts  that  constantly  appear  and  reappear  in  this  Gospel, 
(i)  God  loves  the  world.  Who  constitute  the  "world"  .''  (2)  God's 
method  of  making  men  better  is  to  introduce  a  suitable  person  into 
the  needy  group.  He  did  not  send  a  verbal  message,  but  put  His  Son 
into  their  midst.  (3)  He  put  a  person  among  them  so  closely  related 
to  Himself  that  He  Himself  was  practically  operative  in  this  person's 
activity — His  only  begotten  Son.  (4)  Everyone  who  believes  in  this 
person,  that  is,  comes  up  to  Him  reverently,  penitently,  gladly,  as  to 
one  from  God,  shall  have  life.  (5)  To  have  life  is  the  opposite  of 
"perish,"  or,  as  the  Greek  word  is  elsewhere  translated,  being  "lost." 
It  means  being  brought  into  that  vital  relationship  to  God  and  man 
which  consists  in  loving  them.  Of  course,  he  who  comes  in  loving 
faith  to  the  Son  of  God  begins  in  that  act  to  love  God  and  man.  In 
attaching  himself  to  Jesus,  he  attaches  himself  to  one  who  is  being 
given  by  God  to  the  world,  and  he  must  necessarily  himself  become 
a  part  of  the  gift.  (6)  Jesus  was  not  in  the  world  to  announce  doom, 
and  yet,  by  virtue  of  His  very  presence.  He  was  necessarily  a  judge, 
for  a  person's  attitude  toward  Jesus  reveals  his  true  character.  A 
person  who  is  indifferent  to  Him  is  becoming  morally  a  bad  man  (v.  18), 
because  he  does  not  find  himself  drawn  to  the  best  expression  of  God 
the  world  has  ever  known  and  to  the  best  friend  of  men  the  world  has 
ever  known. 

Personal  Thought:  There  is  fortunately  more  to  our  Christian 
lives  than  the  mere  human  effort  of  a  groping  faith.  God  has  ap- 
proached us,  laid  hold  of  us,  and  introduced  us  into  life. 


212       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXV.— S'ffiug,  tl)c  Ecbclatton  o£  (0oU'6  (Srace  anU  Cratjj, 

SDibtiCfi  tl)e  Jl^ation  {Continued) 

Third  Day:  In  the  Country  Districts  of  Judea  John  the  Baptist 
Gives  His  Final  Testimony  to  Jesus.     John  3:22-36 

Jesus  withdrew  to  the  country  districts  of  the  southern  province, 
where  He  and  John  the  Baptist  were  for  a  time  near  together.  A 
debate  between  John  the  Baptist's  young  men  and  a  Jew  regarding 
the  ceremonial  value  of  the  Baptist's  baptism,  in  some  way  involved 
reference  to  Jesus,  for  John's  disciples  were  troubled  because  Jesus 
was  gaining  a  larger  following  than  John.  Their  anxiety  shows 
that  John  had  not  announced  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus  to  the  main 
body  of  his  disciples.  The  "witness"  he  had  borne  to  Jesus  beyond 
the  Jordan  was  simply  that  Jesus  was  far  mightier  than  himself 
(i :  26-30).  It  was  only  to  a  select  few  that  he  had  privately  an- 
nounced the  Messiahship  of  Jesus.  John's  vision  and  mission  had 
been  given  him  from  heaven,  but  no  consciousness  of  Messiahship  had 
come  with  them  and  he  would  grasp  for  nothing  that  was  not  given 
him  from  heaven.  It  was  a  joy  to  stand  by  as  a  friend  and  hear  an- 
other give  the  bridegroom's  shout  of  exultation.     Read  3  :  22-30. 

In  vv.  31-36  it  is  probably  the  author  of  the  Gospel  who  speaks  of 
Jesus  as  indeed  above  John  the  Baptist,  and  above  all  others  as  well. 
Read  the  verses.  John  the  Baptist  was  simply  an  earth-born  man, 
speaking  on  earth  an  earth-born  man's  message  ;  Jesus  was  a  heaven- 
born  man  (v.  31),  and  His  message  reported  what  He  had  seen  in 
heaven,  and  yet  men  rejected  it  (v.  32).  Whoever  does  receive  it  finds 
that  all  God  has  ever  led  His  people  to  expect  of  the  Messiah  is 
realized  in  Jesus  (v.  ■^-^).  Jesus  is  found  to  be  one  who  speaks  the 
very  words  of  God  under  an  unlimited  inspiration  of  God's  Spirit  (v. 
34).  Indeed,  He  is  unlimited  in  all  His  authority,  for  He  is  the  Son 
whom  the  infinite  Father  loves  (v.  35).  Whoever  believes  in  Him 
is  thereby  brought  into  that  relation  to  God  that  constitutes  life;  but 
whoever  rejects  His  authority,  necessarily  deprives  himself  of  life  and 
draws  God's  wrath  upon  him  (v.  36). 

Here  John  the  Baptist  disappears  from  view.  What  seem  to  you 
to  have  been  his  principal  characteristics  .'' 

Personal  Thought :  The  wrath  of  God  is  a  product  of  His  love.  A 
good  father  is  moved  to  an  indignant,  and  even  severe,  remonstrance 
when  his  own  child  does  wrong,  but  is  not  so  stirred  by  the  conduct 
of  a  strange  child.     The  explanation  is  that  he  loves  his  own  child. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       213 


Study  XK\^—^t6U6,  tl)e  KcDelation  of  (3o)i'6  (Svntt  anU  Crtttl), 

£)ibiUe6  tl)e  JBation  {Continued) 

Fourth  Day:  Jesus  Reveals  His  Grace  and  Truth  by  a  Well  in 
Samaria.     John  4:1-42 

Run  rapidly  over  4:  1-42  in  the  light  of  the  following  summary: 
Jesus  with  great  kindness  tries  to  spare  the  feelings  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist (4:  1-3)  by  withdrawing  to  Galilee,  and  on  the  way  has  an  inter- 
view with  a  woman  of  ill  repute  in  which  He  speaks  with  unsparing 
sincerity  (vv.  16-18),  but  with  marvelous  friendliness  and  unreserve 
(w.  9,  26,  27),  and  wins  the  belief  of  the  entire  village  (vv.  39-42). 
Vv.  1-3  show  that  John  and  Jesus  were  thought  of  as  rivals,  and  make 
more  clearly  evident  the  fact  that  John  had  not  publicly  announced 
Jesus'  Messiahship. 

Jesus  discovered  Himself  to  this  woman  as  He  had  done  to  no  one  out- 
side the  inner  circle  of  His  disciples  (v.  26).  He  first  prepared  her  to 
discover  that  He  was  the  Messiah.  He  showed  her  unexpected  kindness. 
A  rabbi  would  seldom  talk  with  a  woman  alone,  as  is  evident  from  the 
surprise  of  Jesus' disciples  (v.  27  R.  V.  "a  woman");  a  Jew  would  sel- 
dom show  friendliness  to  a  Samaritan  (v.  9).  After  having  estab- 
lished a  friendly  relationship  with  her.  He  tried  to  awaken  in  her  some 
sense  of  need.  He  had  something  that  she  did  not  have  and  that  He 
wished  to  share  with  her.  He  spoke  to  her  in  His  usual  suggestive 
enigmatical  style,  with  which  we  became  familiar  in  the  Synoptic 
Gospels  (read  vv.  10-14).  Jesus'  effort  seemed  to  fail.  The  peasant 
woman  was  not  "spiritually  minded"  and  understood  the  stranger 
to  be  promising  water  possessed  of  some  magical  quality,  one  drink 
of  which  would  permanently  satisfy  thirst  and  do  away  with  the 
necessity  of  the  long  daily  walk  to  the  well.  Read  v.  15.  However, 
Jesus  did  not  give  up,  but  abruptly  changed  His  tactics.  He  laid  His 
hand  firmly,  but  gently,  upon  the  sore  spot  in  her  life.  The  woman 
winced  under  the  touch  and  made  a  nervously  short,  evasive  reply. 
She  did  not  succeed  in  evading  Him,  for  He  pressed  firmly  on  and 
told  her  in  a  single  sentence,  courteously,  but  honestly,  the  story  of 
her  Hfe's  shame.  She  had  been  a  good-natured,  fickle,  sensual  wom- 
an, and  was  living  with  a  man  who  was  not  her  husband.  Read  vv. 
16-18.  The  woman  still  tried  to  escape.  The  stranger  was  evidently 
a  prophet,  and  she  would  turn  the  conversation  away  from  these  un- 
comfortable personalities  to  a  subject  that  would  surely  interest  a 
professional  prophet.     Read  vv.  19-20.     Still  He  would  not  be  side- 


214       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


tracked.  He  pressed  on  to  speak  with  kind,  but  searching,  sincerity 
regarding  her  relation  to  God,  and  opened  a  wealth  of  new  truth  to  her. 
Read.  vv.  21-24.  God,  He  said,  was  her  Father.  Her  Father  was  seek- 
ing for  her.  He  was  very  near  to  her.  He  is  a  spirit,  and  a  spirit  is 
not  confined  to  the  top  of  Mt.  Gerizim  ("this  mountain"  v.  20),  but 
wherever  there  is  a  human  spirit  there  is  God's  Spirit,  and  there  wor- 
ship ought  immediately  to  begin.  Her  Father  is  seeking  for  her. 
Her  Father  cares  because  she  is  living  an  immoral  life.  People  cannot 
worship  God  and  live  an  immoral  life.  They  must  worship  Him 
in  truth;  that  is,  out  of  an  honest,  righteous  life.  The  woman's  mind 
was  confused  by  the  wealth  of  new  truth.  She  had  heard  much  lately 
about  the  coming  Messiah,  whom  the  Samaritan  half-breed  Jews,  as 
well  as  the  Jews  themselves,  expected  soon  to  appear.  When  He 
should  come  He  would  make  all  these  obscure  religious  truths  clear. 
Then  in  a  single  quickly,  quietly  spoken  sentence  came  the  great  dis- 
covery. Read  w.  25-26.  This  dusty,  tired  traveler  by  the  well-side 
the  Messiah!  What  should  this  loquacious  woman  say  to  the  Mes- 
siah ?  Just  then  His  young  men  arrived  with  food  for  the  noonday 
lunch.  In  her  excitement  she  forgot  what  she  came  to  the  well  for 
and  slipped  away  to  the  village.  All  her  past  life  rose  before  her  as 
she  hurried  along,  and  when  she  found  the  men  of  the  village  sitting 
in  the  noonday  shade  she  told  them  that  a  Man  at  the  Well  had  told 
her  everything  she  ever  did,  and  that  perhaps  He  was  the  Messiah. 
Read  vv.  27-30.  Why  did  Jesus  not  eat  the  lunch  that  His  disciples 
brought  Him  (vv.  31-34)  ^  As  He  looked  across  the  field  at  the  com- 
pany of  men  coming  from  the  village  His  spirit  kindled  anew.  Read 
vv.  35-36.  In  vv.  37-38  allusion  is  probably  made  to  John  the  Baptist's 
work  in  this  region  (cf.  3:  23),  the  results  of  which  Jesus  and  His  dis- 
ciples were  now  reaping. 

There  followed  two  rare  days  that  must  have  long  been,  and 
perhaps  still  are,  a  happy  memory  in  the  mind  of  Jesus.  Read  vv. 
39-42.  The  daily  walk  to  the  well  thereafter  was  suggestive  of  inspir- 
ing memories  to  the  woman. 

Personal  Thought :  "  He  that  reapeth  receiveth  wages  and  gathereth 
fruit  unto  life  eternal"  (v.  36).  The  eternal  friendships  between 
those  who  bring  men  into  fellowship  with  Jesus  Christ  and  those  whom 
they  introduce  into  that  fellowship  will  constitute,  it  would  seem,  a 
large  part  of  the  rewarding  joy  of  eternal  life. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       215 


Study  XKV.—^tsm,  t|)c  ErtcIatiDU  of  0oti*6  (8xntt  anti  Ctutlf), 

^iUiUCJi  ibt  JQation  {Continued) 

Fifth  Day:  Jesus  Makes  a  Revelation  of  Grace  and  Truth  in 
Galilee,  but  Soon  Returns  to  a  Feast  in  Jerusalem.  John 
4:43-5:47 

1.  Read  4:43-54111  the  light  of  the  following  summary :  Jesus  shows 
great  kindness  to  one  of  Herod's  officers  by  curing  his  son  of  a  fatal  sick- 
ness, and  the  whole  family  believe.  V.  44  explains  that  Jesus  was  not 
hkely  to  experience  any  such  excess  of  popularity  in  Galilee  as  had 
driven  Him  out  of  Judea  (cf.  4:  i).  In  v.  48  Jesus  seems  to  long  for 
some  such  confidence  as  He  had  just  experienced  in  Samaria — con- 
fidence that  had  been  accorded  Him  because  of  His  character. 

2.  Take  a  rapid  survey  of  chapter  5  in  the  light  of  the  following 
summary:  Jesus  shows  great  friendliness  in  curing  on  the  Sabbath 
a  man  tn  desperate  need  (vv.  5-7),  and  speaks  to  him  with  searching 
sincerity  about  his  evil  life  (v.  14);  He  defends  Himself  in  an  informal 
investigation  by  the  Sanhedrin  with  fearless  frankness  for  performing 
this  cure  on  the  Sabbath  (vv.  16-17),  and  speaks  with  great  unreserve 
about  His  relation  to  the  Father  (vv.  19-47);  unbelief  results  (vv.  16- 
18,  37-47).  As  Jesus  was  wandering  sympathetically  about  the  parts 
of  the  city  where  the  needy  were  apt  to  congregate,  He  came  upon 
this  peculiarly  pathetic  case.  Existence  had  become  a  dreary  monot- 
ony. The  sick  man  looked  back  upon  one  long  series  of  disappoint- 
ments when  he  had  been  on  the  verge  of  success.  The  trouble  was 
that  he  had  no  friend:  "I  have  no  man"  (v.  7).  There  seemed  no 
prospect  that  he  would  ever  have.  His  long  thirty-eight  years  of 
sickness  seem  to  have  been  originally  due  to  some  sin  (v.  14).  Fur- 
thermore, the  long  years  of  repeated  disappointments  had  soured 
the  man's  disposition  so  that  he  seemed  to  have  become  almost  in- 
capable of  gratitude  (v.  15).  In  the  course  of  carrying  out  His  con- 
ception of  Messiahship,  namely,  manifesting  an  infinite  friendliness 
in  the  commonplace  relations  of  real  life,  Jesus  helped  this  helpless 
man  on  the  Sabbath.  In  doing  this  he  ran  athwart  the  prevailing 
conception  of  religion  and  aroused  the  priests  and  rabbis.  They 
were  scandalized  as  they  saw  this  man  going  through  the  Jerusalem 
streets  on  the  Sabbath  carrying  a  bundle,  and  still  more  scandalized 
at  Jesus.     What  was  the  meaning  of  Jesus'  reply  in  v.  17  .'' 

Personal  Thought:  'T  have  no  man."  These  fatal  gaps  between 
need  and  help,  where  there  is  "no  man,"  we  are  to  watch  for. 


ai6       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXV.— ^TecuB,  t|)e  Kctoelatioa  of  (3aV6  ©race  anU  Crnt!), 

^iijiUCfi  tlje  BattOIl  (^Continued) 

Sixth  Day;    Jesus  Defends  Himself  in  an  Informal  Investigation 
by  the  Sanhedrin.     John  5:17-47 

The  religious  authorities  who  complained  of  the  man  for  carrying 
his  bed  on  the  Sabbath  traced  his  action  back  to  Jesus.  They  were 
not  much  impressed  by  the  good  fortune  of  the  man  who,  after  thirty- 
eight  years  of  sickness,  was  now  in  health,  but  they  were  greatly  out- 
raged by  the  Sabbath  desecration  involved  in  Jesus'  curing  him.  When 
Jesus  was  called  to  account  His  reply  was  that  in  His  career  thus  far 
He  had  simply  worked  out  what  His  Father  worked  in  and  through 
Him  (v.  17).  That  is,  He  attributed  this  Sabbath  cure  to  God.  God, 
He  said,  had  drawn  near  this  lonely,  helpless,  unappreciative,  broken- 
spirited  man  on  the  Sabbath  day  and  helped  him.  This  view  of  the 
case  greatly  angered  the  authorities,  and  led  them  to  an  informal  ex- 
amination of  Jesus  on  a  more  serious  charge  (v.  18).  Jesus'  answer 
to  this  more  serious  charge  is  found  in  vv.  19-47.  The  answer  is  far 
more  intelligible  when  regarded  not  as  a  theological  treatise,  but  as 
a  report  of  Jesus*  own  religious  experience.  Jesus  felt  this  way  as 
He  went  about  from  village  to  village,  and  home  to  home. 

It  is  not  quite  clear  whether  01  not  He  was  understood  to  be  calling 
Himself  the  Messiah  in  speaking  of  God  as  His  Father.  Very  likely 
the  Jews  thought  that  no  Messiah  would  talk  as  Jesus  talked,  for  their 
conception  of  Messlahship  was  far  lower  than  the  Christian  concep- 
tion. As  late  as  John  10:  24  Jesus  had  not  been  understood  to  make 
any  formal  announcement  of  Messiahship.  Read  vv.  16-47  carefully 
through  and  give  the  best  tentative  answers  you  can  to  the  following 
questions:  What  does  Jesus  think  of  Himself?  How  does  He  justify 
His  estimate  of  Himself?     Why  did  the  Jews  not  agree  with  Him? 

Personal  Thought:  "My  Father  worketh  even  until  now,  and  I 
work."  The  dignity  of  work  is  established.  It  is  a  divine  act.  The 
two  fundamental  elements  of  life  are  friendship  and  work;  the  two 
most  divine  capacities  of  the  human  soul  are  the  capacity  for  friend- 
ship and  the  capacity  for  work.  Do  not  think  of  your  work  as  a 
thing  to  be  avoided  or  diminished,  but  as  God's  gift. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       217 


Study  XXV.—^t&ns,  tl)Z  Kebclation  0!  (Bo^i'a  0xut  anti  Crutt), 

^i^JtUefi;  tit  JQation  {Continued) 

Seventh  Day:   Jesus  Defends  Himself  in  an  Informal  Investi- 
gation by  the  Sanhedrin  (concluded).     John  5:17-47 

Remember  that  Jesus  is  being  called  to  account  for  explaining  His 
wonderful  cures  by  the  closeness  of  His  relationship  to  God  His  Father. 
(Read  again  vv.  16-18).  Compare  the  following  paraphrase  with 
the  text,  verse  by  verse:  "It  is  the  Father  who  enables  me  to  do  what 
I  do.  He  will  enable  me  to  do  anything  that  He  does  (vv.  ig-20a). 
He  will  enable  me  to  do  greater  things  than  to  give  life  to  this  half- 
dead  man  (20b);  I  am  able  to  resurrect  the  dead  (v.  21),  and  to  follow 
the  resurrection  with  judgment  (v.  22)  and  am  to  be  treated  with 
the  respect  due  to  God  (v.  23).  I  can  introduce  into  the  age-long 
life  that  follows  the  judgment  all  who  attach  themselves  in  friendly 
faith  to  me  (v.  24).  I  am  introducing  some  into  the  beginnings  of 
this  life  now,  and  I  feel  that  as  Son  of  Man  I  have  authority  to 
execute  judgment  (vv.  25-27).  This  is  no  more  marvelous  than  to 
cause  the  general  resurrection  (vv.  28-29).  I  can  do  this  only  through 
connection  with  the  Father  (v.  30).  If  these  startling  assump- 
tions were  simply  the  wild  vagaries  of  my  own  brain  they  would  not 
be  true,  but  they  have  corroboration  (v.  31).  God  Himself  cor- 
roborates them  by  enabling  me  to  do  works  of  compassionate  power 
commensurate  with  my  consciousness  of  power.  I  have  been  able 
to  heal  men's  bodies,  and  more  than  this,  I  have  been  able  to  intro- 
duce my  disciples  into  spiritual  fellowship  with  God.  John  the  Bap- 
tist also  was  given  to  you  as  a  lesser  witness,  in  whom  the  people  re- 
joiced for  a  time  (vv.  32-37a).  The  fact  that  the  priests  and  rabbis 
do  not  Hke  me  is  proof  that  they  do  not  like  God  (vv.  37b-38).  You 
profess  to  be  interpreters  of  God's  word,  but  you  are  not,  for  it  points 
to  me.  Since  to  me  you  will  not  come,  you  therefore  cannot  have 
the  enduring  life  (vv.  39-40).  I  am  not  urging  you  to  follow  me  be- 
cause I  love  popularity  (v.  41).  I  am  simply  saying  frankly  to  you 
that  you  are  out  of  sympathy  with  God  (v.  42).  You  are  so  selfishly 
anxious  for  reputation  and  popularity  that  you  cannot  recognize  in  me 
the  revelation  of  God.  If  some  one  else  should  come  with  only  a 
great  reputation  as  a  rabbi,  full  of  pride  and  self-assertion,  you  would 
show  him  great  courtesy;  but  I  who  come  as  a  messenger  from  God, 
and  doing  God's  works,  have  not  been  received  by  you  (v.  43).  It  is 
pride  of  reputation,  selfish  desire  for  deferential  salutations,  that 


21 8       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


closes  your  hearts  against  God's  word.  The  real  honor  which  is 
conferred  by  God  comes  only  to  those  of  humble  heart  (v.  44).  Moses, 
in  whom  you  chiefly  glory,  and  upon  connection  with  whom  you  rest 
your  hope  of  glory,  will  be  your  judge.  You  are  really  profoundly 
ignorant  of  the  writings  of  which  you  proudly  claim  to  be  the  only 
competent  interpreters"  (vv.  45-47). 

Certain  things  become  clearly  evident:  (l)  Jesus  finds  Himself 
conscious  of  a  unique  relation  to  God  His  Father,  and  finds  this  con- 
sciousness justified  by  what  His  Father  enables  Him  to  do.  Read 
carefully  again  w.  31,  36-37.  (2)  He  is  a  perfect  revelation  of  God 
because  He  is  completely  submissive  to  God  (vv.  19,  20,  30).  (3) 
Since  He  is  a  perfect  revelation  of  God,  the  fact  that  the  religious  au- 
thorities do  not  like  Him  is  proof  positive  that  they  do  not  love  God 
(vv.  38-43).  (4)  The  reason  that  they  do  not  like  Him  is  that  He 
stands  for  an  order  of  things  that  will  give  no  opportunity  for  the  rabbis 
to  gratify  their  selfish  love  of  pre-eminence  (v.  44). 

Personal  Thought :  The  condition  of  all  progress  in  the  knowledge 
of  God  is  readiness  in  good-will  to  take  one's  stand  with  common  men. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ      219 


Study  XKVl.—3t&U6,  t^t  iSctoelation  of  (BoVs  (3xntt  nxCa  QTrutl), 

£)iljiBefi;  ii^t  JQattOn  (Continued) 

First  Day:  Jesus  Seems  to  the  Galileans  to  be  the  Messiah  In- 
troducing the  Age  of  Messianic  Plenty.    John  6:1-13 

Without  waiting  to  tell  what  was  the  result  of  the  informal  investi- 
gation in  Jerusalem  (chap.  5),  the  author  abruptly  brings  Jesus  back 
to  Galilee.  Get  the  scope  of  chapter  6  by  reading  the  references 
cited  in  the  following  summary:  Jesus  shows  His  friendliness  by 
feeding  some  thousands  of  hungry  men,  and  follows  this  act  by  a  dis- 
course in  which  He  presents  Himself  as  the  object  of  belief,  capable 
of  giving  life  to  the  world  (33-40);  He  lays  hare  with  searching  and 
fearless  sincerity  the  real  cheapness  of  motive  that  actuates  a  large 
number  of  His  following  (26-27);  ^^^  discourse  results  in  the  unbelief 
of  many  (66),  and  in  the  continued  belief  of  the  Twelve  (67-69).  Vv. 
I-13  are  parallel  to  Mark  6:30-46.  Read  vv.  14-15.  V.  I4  prob- 
ably refers  to  Deut.  18:  15.  The  people  thought  of  the  Kingdom 
of  God  chiefly  as  a  time  of  easier  physical  conditions.  The  abun- 
dance of  free  bread  convinced  them  that  the  Messianic  plenty  of  the 
New  Kingdom  had  begun,  and  they  proposed  to  force  Jesus  to  avow 
His  Messiahship.  Vv.  16-21  are  parallel  to  Mark  6:47-56.  Notice 
in  V.  19  the  incidental  evidence  that  the  account  proceeds  from  an 
eye-witness.  Read  w.  22-24,  and  note  the  same.  Read  vv.  22-71 
and  give  the  best  answers  you  can,  without  spending  much  time,  to 
the  following  questions :  Why  did  Jesus  refuse  this  recognition  of 
Messiahship  I  What  did  Jesus  want  of  the  people  ?  Why  did  so 
many  abandon  the  theory  that  He  was  the  Messiah  (v.  66)  ? 

Personal  Thought :  The  relief  of  physical  distress  was  one  feature 
of  Jesus'  Messianic  program.  He  did  not  mean  to  have  men  always 
suffering  from  hunger.  He  had,  however,  a  divine  foresight  and  self- 
control  that  enabled  Him  to  discard  a  measure  which  would  have 
secured  quick  and  superficial  relief,  and  to  adopt  a  policy  that  would 
secure  a  slow  but  fundamental  cure  of  these  great  ailments.  He 
would  be  content  with  nothing  less  than  real  "Hfe"  for  the  world, 
namely,  a  civilization  of  brotherly  sons  of  God  in  which  pain,  crime, 
hunger,  and  even  death  itself  should  finally  be  no  more,  and  into 
which  men  would  find  themselves  being  gradually  introduced  as  one 
by  one  they  passed  peacefully  and  confidently  into  spiritual  fellow- 
ship with  Himself. 


220       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXVI.— ^Testis,  t^e  Krtelation  of  (BaVi  (0race  anti  Crutf), 

DitiUffi  t()C  Jl5att0n  (Continued) 

Second  Day:  Jesus  Seems  to  the  Galileans  to  be  the  Messiah  in- 
troducing the  Age  of  Messianic  Plenty.    John  6  (concluded) 

Many  of  the  questions  suggested  by  this  great  discourse  will  be 
most  succinctly  answered  by  the  following  paraphrase: 

Jesus:  (speaking  to  the  crowd  that  would  have  declared  Him  Mes- 
siah the  day  before) :  "  Do  not  think  to  deceive  me.  You  have  followed 
me  here,  not  because  you  regard  what  I  did  yesterday  as  a  sign  that  I 
have  come  from  God,  or  even  out  of  curiosity  to  see  other  signs,  but 
simply  because  you  have  had  enough  to  eat  (v.  26).  I  know  that  you 
are  working  people,  striving  to  get  food  for  your  families,  but  you 
ought  not  to  be  working  solely  for  food,  you  ought  not  to  be  entirely 
satisfied  simply  to  have  bread  cheap  and  plenty.  You  ought  to  be 
working  for  the  food  that  will  sustain  endless  life  in  the  New  King- 
dom. This  food  I  would  be  glad  to  give  you  ;  and  the  miracle  which 
God  enabled  me  to  perform  yesterday  was  intended  by  Him  to 
designate  me  as  one  who  can  give  you  such  food  "  (v.  27). 

The  leaders  of  the  crowd  :  "What  sort  of  works  do  you  mean  that 
God  would  like  us  to  be  doing?  Our  rabbis  in  the  synagogue  are 
continually  urging  us  to  do  'God's  works'  in  order  to  please  God. 
What  do  you  consider  to  be  'God's  works  ?"'  (v.  28). 

Jesus :  '"God's  works'  are  very  simple.  The  one  thing  He  wishes 
you  to  do  is  to  yield  yourselves  heartily  to  be  controlled  by  me  whom 
He  has  sent"  (v.  29). 

The  people  :  "  But  if  we  yield  ourselves  to  your  control,  must  you 
not  give  us  some  sign  that  you  are  really  sent  to  rule  us  ?  You  say  we 
ought  not  to  be  so  bent  on  getting  bread,  but  was  it  not  by  daily  dis- 
tribution of  free  bread  that  Moses  proved  to  our  fathers  his  right  to 
rule  them  ?  It  was  his  sign  of  God's  endorsement.  '  Bread  from 
heaven  he  gave  them'  the  Scripture  surely  reads"  (vv.  30-31). 

Jesus  :  "No,  believe  me  when  I  say  that  Moses  did  not  give  you 
real  bread  from  heaven  ;  but  my  Father  is  now  giving  you,  though 
you  do  not  realize  it,  real  bread  from  heaven  (v.  32).  Genuine  '  bread 
from  heaven'  is  the  person  who  comes  down  from  heaven  and  who 
is  competent  to  sustain  the  life  of  the  whole  world"  (vv.  32-33). 

The  people:  "Sir,  we  scarcely  understand  you,  but  what  we  want 
is  that  you  give  us  bread  every  day  as  you  did  yesterday"  (v.  34). 

Jisus :  "I  am  myself,  in  my  own  person,  that  which  sustains  life. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       221 


Whoever  comes  to  me  will  find  in  my  friendship  something  that  sat- 
isfies hunger;  whoever  believes  me  to  be  from  God,  as  I  say  I  am,  and 
yields  himself  obediently  to  me,  will  find  in  my  friendship  that  which 
will  satisfy  thirst  (v.  35).  I  am  obliged  to  say  that  you  have  not  come 
to  me  in  this  way.  You  have  merely  been  willing  to  use  me  as  a  means 
of  getting  free  bread  (v.  36).  Your  failure  to  come  to  me  proves  that 
you  have  not  put  yourselves  at  the  disposal  of  God,  for  had  you  done 
so  He  would  have  given  you  to  me  and  you  would  have  come  to  me. 
I  should  then  have  received  you  heartily,  and  not  been  obliged  to 
repel  you  as  I  must  when  you  come  simply  wanting  free  bread.  Who- 
ever comes  to  me  as  a  source  of  higher  life  I  shall  certainly  never  re- 
pulse, because  my  purpose  in  coming  down  from  heaven  has  been 
to  do  what  my  Father  wants  done,  and  what  He  pre-eminently  wants 
is  that  I  shall  take  all  who  will  let  Him  give  them  to  me,  keep  them 
now,  and  ultimately  introduce  them  into  the  civilization  of  the  endless 
life  (vv.  37-39).  I  repeat  it.  This  is  God's  will,  that  everyone  who 
comes  in  contact  with  me  and  trusts  himself  unreservedly  and  obedi- 
ently to  me  shall  now  begin  the  endless  life,  shall  pass  through  death 
unharmed,  and  ultimately  be  brought  into  the  civilization  of  brotherly 
men"  (v.  40). 

The  Jews  (religious  leaders  of  the  people  and  openly  hostile  to 
Jesus):  "This  man  Jesus  comes  from  a  Nazareth  family.  We 
know  His  father  and  mother.  What  stuff  is  this  that  He  is  talking 
when  He  says  that  He  comes  down  from  heaven  .?"  (v.  42). 

Jesus:  "Cease  muttering  criticisms  of  my  words.  You  need  not 
fear  that  people  who  follow  me  will  be  misled.  You  may  rest  assured 
that  any  who  follow  me  have  been  led  to  do  so  by  God  Himself.  No 
one  will  follow  me  who  is  not  obediently  disposed  to  God  and  in- 
fluenced by  Him.  I  assure  you  that  I  shall  not  do  harm  to  such,  but 
shall  bring  them  safely  through  the  Messianic  judgment  and  carry 
them  on  into  the  civilization  of  the  endless  life  (vv.  43-44).  The 
Scriptures  predict  a  time  when  all  men  will  obediently  learn  of  God. 
I  assure  you  that  everyone  who  thus  learns  of  God  will  be  found  fol- 
lowing me.  When  I  speak  of  men  learning  of  God,  I  do  not  mean 
to  imply  that  anyone  except  myself  has  seen  the  Father.  I  have  seen 
Him,  and  I  assure  you  that  everyone  who  yields  himself  obediently 
to  me,  as  one  who  has  come  out  from  God,  will  be  brought  by  me 
into  that  relation  of  love  to  God  and  men  that  constitutes  the  end- 
less life  (vv.  45-47).  I  in  my  own  person  am  the  bread  that  sustains 
real  life.     Those  who  come  to  me  will  find  in  my  friendship  that  which 


122       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


will  maintain  in  them  the  life  of  endless  love  to  God  and  men  (v.  48). 
Your  fathers  in  the  wilderness  had  no  such  bread  of  life.  They  sim- 
ply ate  manna  and  died,  just  as  you  would  if  I  did  no  more  for  you 
than  to  give  you  bread  as  I  did  yesterday  (v.  49).  The  bread  of 
which  I  am  speaking  is  bread  from  heaven  that  sustains  a  life  out  of 
reach  of  death  (v.  50).  It  is  I  myself  who  am  this  life-giving  bread 
which  comes  down  from  heaven.  If  anyone  eats  of  this  bread,  ap- 
propriates me  in  the  fellowship  of  friendship,  he  will  live  the  endless 
life.  I  and  my  friendship  become  Hke  life-sustaining  bread  to  him 
by  virtue  of  yielding  up  this  body  of  flesh  for  the  life  of  the  world" 

The  Jews  (in  excited  debate  with  each  other) :  "What  sort  of  canni- 
balistic notion  is  this  .?     How  can  this  fellow  give  us  His  flesh  to  eat .?" 

(v.  52)- 

Jesus  :  "I  assure  you  that  unless  you  do  eat  my  flesh,  yes,  and  drink 
my  blood  too,  you  will  not  have  the  life  of  the  endless  kingdom  in 
you,  professional  religious  leaders  though  you  are!  (v.  53).  It  is  he 
who  eats  my  flesh  and  drinks  my  blood  that  has  the  endless  life,  and 
that  will  pass  through  the  Messianic  judgment  into  the  civilization 
of  the  brotherly  sons  of  God.  My  flesh  is  true  food  and  my  blood  is 
true  drink  (vv.  54-55).  What  I  mean  by  eating  my  flesh  and  drink- 
ing my  blood  is,  partaking  of  me,  myself,  my  spirit;  entering  into  a 
friendship  so  deep  and  true  that  we  shall  live  in  each  other  (v.  56). 
Such  relationship  to  me  will  involve  the  loving  relationship  to  God 
and  men  that  constitutes  life,  and  you  will  therefore  live  through  me, 
just  as  I,  through  closeness  of  relationship  to  the  Father  that  sent  me, 
gain  my  life  (v.  57).  It  is  with  this  thought  in  mind  that  I  have  called 
myself  the  '  bread  from  heaven.'  It  is  not  like  that  eaten  by  the  fathers 
in  the  wilderness,  or  by  you  yesterday.  That  cannot  keep  from  deathj 
but  this  is  of  the  sort  that  keeps  a  man  in  endless  life"  (v.  58). 

Representatives  of  the  outer  circle  of  Jesus'  followers  (speaking 
privately):  "This  is  a  weird,  unintelligible  address.  It  is  imprac- 
ticable to  try  to  follow  His  teaching"  (v.  60). 

Jesus  (hearing  their  muttered  criticism):  "Has  this  discourse  been 
off'cnsive,  and  has  it  tempted  you  to  withdraw  from  my  following  ?  I 
fear  that  you  would  be  still  more  disturbed  if  you  realized  that  I  am  not 
only  not  going  to  begin  the  Messianic  era  of  material  abundance  ujxjn 
the  earth,  as  these  crowds  long  to  have  me,  but  am  even  going  entirely 
to  withdraw  ray  visible  presence  from  the  earth  and  return  into  the 
heavens  (vv.  61-62).     It  is  spiritual   relationship  to  me,  such  as  will 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       223 


then  be  possible  to  all  the  world,  that  gives  life.  My  statements  re- 
garding the  eating  of  my  flesh  were  figurative.  There  is  no  moral 
quality  in  the  physical  flesh.  It  is  my  words,  received  and  acted  upon, 
that  will  introduce  into  spiritual  relationship  and  consequent  life 
(v.  63).  I  know  perfectly  well,  however,  that  there  are  some  of  you 
that  have  not  really  accepted  me  and  my  teaching  (v.  64).  I  had 
such  in  mind  when  I  said  that  no  one  who  is  not  really  in  touch  with 
God  and  open  to  instigation  from  Him  would  become  a  real  disciple, 
though  he  might  be  superficially  drawn  to  me  through  misunder- 
standing my  real  purpose"  (v.  65). 

(Addressing  the  Twelve  as  He  sees  many  leaving  Him):  "Do 
you  also  wish  to  give  up  discipleship  ?"  (v.  67). 

Peter:  "Sir,  to  whom  should  we  go.''  You  seem  to  us  to  speak 
words  that  teach  us  how  to  enter  the  endless  life.  We  believe  that 
you  are  God's  holy  Messiah"  (vv.  68-69). 

Jesus :  "Even  among  you,  my  chosen  intimates,  there  is  a  devil!" 
IV.  70). 


224       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXVI.— ^Tcbob,  t\)t  Krtelation  of  (8aVa  (Sracc  anU  QTrutl), 

5!)tbtlltB  tl)f  Illation  (ContinueJ) 

Third  Day:  Jesus  Makes  a  Decisive  Revelation  of  God's  Grace 
and  Truth  in  Jerusalem  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles.  John 
7: 1-10:21 

1.  Jesus'  failure  to  utilize  the  Messianic  enthusiasm  of  the  Gait- 
leans  (6:14-15),  together  with  the  mystical  sentimentalism  of  His 
discourse  in  the  Capernaum  synagogue,  showed  such  apparent  lack 
of  practical  force  and  plan  as  to  alienate  a  large  number  of  His  fol- 
lowing (6:60,  66).  It  probably  nearly  cost  Him  the  Twelve  (6:67) 
and  widened  the  breach  between  Himself  and  His  brothers.  At  an 
earlier  time  His  brothers  had  not  been  confident  of  His  mental  bal- 
ance (Mark  3:  20-21),  and  now  they  are  quite  out  of  patience  with 
Him.  Their  lack  of  patience  came  to  a  somewhat  decisive  expression 
as  they  saw  Him  making  no  preparation  to  go  up  to  the  Harvest  Fes- 
tival, the  Feast  of  Booths  (Lev.  23:  34),  at  Jerusalem.  Read  7:  1-9 
in  the  light  of  the  following  summary :  Jesus'  brothers  do  not  believe 
in  Htm;  He  speaks  of  the  honesty  with  which  He  has  borne  witness 
to  the  evil  in  society,  and  of  the  popular  unbelief  that  has  resulted  (v.  7). 
The  likelihood  of  Jesus'  being  arrested  and  prosecuted  in  Jerusalem 
(v.  i)  is  explained  by  5:  16-18.  "If"  in  v.  4  is  equivalent  to  "since." 
Vv.  6-8  seem  to  indicate  that  Jesus  had  not  heard  the  "Inner  Voice" 
of  the  Father,  without  which  He  would  not  act  (cf.  2  :  4).  He  asserts 
that  it  has  not  been  lack  of  foresight  that  has  kept  Him  from  the  great 
festival.  His  brothers  are  so  in  sympathy  with  current  ideas  that  it 
makes  no  difference  when  they  act,  but  His  own  actions  are  so  sig- 
nificant as  to  make  it  important  to  do  nothing  except  when  His  Father 
indicates  the  ripeness  of  time. 

2.  After  the  family  had  started  for  Jerusalem  the  "Inner  Voice" 
of  the  Father  bade  Jesus  also  go.  In  the  middle  of  the  joyful  week 
He  arrived  and  began  to  lecture  boldly  in  the  temple  corridors.  This 
action  created  a  tremendous  commotion.  Read  7 :  10-36,  a  summary 
of  which  is  the  following:  At  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  in  Jerusalem 
Jesus  speaks  of  His  oiun  sincerity  (v.  18),  and  points  out  with  unsparing 
frankness  the  inconsistency  of  His  enemies  (vv.  19,  24,  34);  the  result 
is  varying  degrees  of  belief  (v.  31)  and  unbelief  (vv.  20,  27,  30,  32,  35). 

Personal  Thought:  "If  any  man  willeth  to  do  His  will,  he  shall 
know  the  teaching,  whether  it  be  of  God  or  whether  I  speak  from 
myself"  (7:17) 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       225 


"Suppose  that  one  of  us,  clear  of  all  the  vices,  having  a  naturally 
active-minded,  inquiring  habit,  occupied  largely  v^ith  thoughts  of 
religion;  never  meaning  to  get  away  from  the  truth,  but,  as  he  thinks, 
to  find  it,  only  resolved  to  have  a  free  mind,  and  not  to  allow  himself 
to  be  carried  by  force  or  fear,  or  anything  but  real  conviction — sup- 
pose that  such  a  one,  going  on  thus,  year  by  year,  reading,  questioning, 
hearing  all  the  while  the  Gospel  in  which  he  has  been  educated,  some- 
times impressed  by  it,  but  relapsing  shortly  into  greater  doubt  than 
before,  finds  his  religious  beliefs  wearing  out  and  vanishing,  he  knows 
not  how,  till,  finally,  he  seems  to  really  believe  nothing.  .  .  .  Fi- 
nally, pacing  his  chamber  some  day,  there  comes  up  suddenly  the 
question,  'Is  there,  then,  no  truth  that  I  do  believe?  Yes,  there  is 
this  one,  now  that  I  think  of  it :  there  is  a  distinction  of  nght  and  wrong 
that  I  never  doubted,  and  I  see  not  how  I  can;  I  am  even  quite  sure 
of  it.'  Then  forthwith  starts  up  the  question,  'Have  I,  then,  ever 
taken  the  principle  of  right  for  my  law  ?  I  have  done  right  things 
as  men  speak;  have  I  ever  thrown  my  life  out  on  the  principle  to  be- 
come all  it  requires  of  me  ?  No,  I  have  not,  consciously  I  have  not. 
Ah!  then,  here  is  something  for  me  to  do!  No  matter  what  becomes  of 
my  questions — nothing  ought  to  become  of  them  if  I  cannot  take  a 
first  principle  so  inevitably  true,  and  live  in  it.'  The  very  suggestion 
seems  to  be  a  kind  of  revelation;  it  is  even  a  relief  to  feel  the  convic- 
tion it  brings.  'Here,  then,'  he  says, 'will  I  begin.  If  there  is  a  God, 
as  I  rather  hope  there  is,  and  very  dimly  believe,  he  is  a  right  God. 
If  I  have  lost  him  in  wrong,  perhaps  I  shall  find  him  in  right.  Will 
he  not  help  me,  or,  perchance,  even  be  discovered  to  me?'  Now 
the  decisive  moment  is  come.  He  drops  on  his  knees,  and  there  he 
prays  to  the  dim  God,  dimly  felt,  confessing  the  dimness  for  honesty's 
sake,  and  asking  for  help  that  he  may  begin  a  right  life.  He  bows 
himself  on  it  as  he  prays,  choosing  it  to  be  henceforth  his  unalterable, 
eternal  endeavor. 

"It  is  an  awfully  dark  prayer,  in  the  look  of  it;  but  the  truest  and 
best  he  can  make,  the  better  and  the  more  true  that  he  puts  no  orthodox 
colors  on  it;  and  the  prayer  and  the  vow  are  so  profoundly  meant  that 
his  soul  is  borne  up  into  God's  help,  as  it  were,  by  some  unseen  chariot, 
and  permitted  to  see  the  opening  of  heaven  even  sooner  than  he  opens 
his  eyes.  .  .  .  It  is  the  morning,  as  it  were,  of  a  new  eternity. 
After  this  all  troublesome  doubt  of  God's  reality  is  gone,  for  he  has 
found  him!  A  being  so  profoundly  felt  must  inevitably  be!" — Horace 
BusHNELL,  Sermon  on  the  Dissolving  of  Doubts. 


226       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXVL— Sftsttfi,  tl)c  KeDcIatian  of  ®oU'6  (Sracc  anJ  QTrtitj), 

2Dii)tllC6  t!)C  JQattnn   (Continued) 

Fourth  Day:  Jesus  Makes  a  Divisive  Revelation  of  God's  Grace 
and  Truth  in  Jerusalem  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  (con- 
tinued).    John  7:1-10:21 

I.  Consider  again  in  detail  7:  10-36:  "Letters"  (v.  15)  refers  to 
literature  or  rabbinical  training.  Jesus,  unlike  the  rabbis,  does  not 
plume  Himself  upon  His  skill  and  success  as  a  teacher  or  lecturer. 
He  is  a  humble  man,  humbly  speaking  what  God  teaches  Him  (v.  16). 
This  they  will  recogni'/c  if  they  are  in  sympathy  with  God  (v.  17). 
His  unselfishness  is  His  recommendation  (v.  18).  Jesus  then  reverts 
to  the  situation  in  5:  18,  and  says  that  the  authorities  have  no  right 
to  kill  Him  as  a  breaker  of  Moses'  law,  for  they  themselves  break 
Moses'  law  (v.  19).  Some  in  the  crowd  do  not  seem  to  know  that  the 
authorities  wish  to  kill  Him,  and  attribute  His  thinking  so  to  a  de- 
moniacal hallucination  (v.  20).  Jesus  argues,  furthermore,  that  they 
themselves  do  the  labor  incident  to  the  surgical  operation  of  circum- 
cision on  the  Sabbath,  and  they  ought  not  to  blame  Him  for  having 
done  something  of  advantage  to  a  man's  entire  system.  They  ought 
to  be  less  superficial  in  their  judgments  (vv.  22-24).  In  v.  25  some 
Jerusalem  residents,  who  know  the  intentions  of  the  authorities  better 
than  those  in  v.  20,  appear.  They  know  that  the  surmise  that  Jesus 
is  the  Messiah  has  been  gaining  ground,  but  they  do  not  approve  of 
it  because  the  Messiah  will  come  suddenly  from  some  mysterious 
retreat,  while  Jesus  is  known  to  be  a  Nazareth  man.  Jesus  hears  of 
this  objection  and  takes  the  subject  up  in  His  public  lecturing.  They 
do  indeed  know  that  He  comes  from  Nazareth,  but  God  is  in  Him 
and  they  would  be  in  sympathy  with  Him  if  they  were  themselves 
in  touch  with  God  (vv.  26-29).  This  bold  assertion  of  close  relation- 
ship to  God,  though  not  an  explicit  assertion  of  Messiahship,  brought 
the  authorities  almost  to  the  point  of  arresting  Jesus  for  blasphemy, 
but  the  author  reverently  notes  that  God's  rime  had  not  yet  come  (v. 
30).  See  further  evidence  of  the  tenseness  of  the  situation  in  vv.  31- 
32.  The  officers  were  probably  given  several  days  to  accomplish  their 
errand,  and  were  allowed  to  exercise  some  discretion  in  the  matter. 
Jesus  in  His  public  lectures  said  that  He  should  soon  return  to  the 
Father  who  sent  Him  and  that  those  who  were  so  out  of  touch  with 
God  would  not  be  able  to  follow  Him  there  (vv.  33-34)-  The  authori- 
ties were  perplexed  by  this  statement,  and  suggested  in  derision  that 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       227 


perhaps  He  whose  chief  following  was  among  the  disreputable  and 
uneducated  classes  of  His  own  race  (cf.  v.  48)  would  even  take  His 
chances  among  the  despised  foreigners  (vv.  35-36). 

2.  The  last  day  of  the  happy  festival  week  arrived  and  the  officers 
had  not  yet  arrested  Jesus.  One  of  the  features  of  the  week  had 
been  the  daily  bringing  of  water  in  a  golden  vessel  from  Siloam  to 
the  temple  by  a  joyful  procession.  This  ceremony  was  regarded  as 
symbolical  of  the  out-pouring  of  the  Spirit,  and  was  also  suggestive 
of  the  water  supplied  to  the  people  in  the  wilderness.  The  ceremony 
gave  Jesus  His  text.  Read  7 :  37-52 :  On  the  last  day  of  the  feast 
'Jesus  makes  specially  friendly  promises  to  the  people  {2>7~Z^^  which 
result  in  belief  (40-41,  46-50)  and  unbelief  (44,  47). 

Jesus'  point  seems  to  be  the  tremendous  assumption  that  personal 
association  with  Himself  will  satisfy  the  deepest  needs  and  ambitions 
of  the  human  spirit,  and  will  make  the  human  spirit  a  source  of  great 
streams  of  blessing  to  other  persons.  This  was  to  be  realized  when 
the  Spirit  of  the  glorified  Jesus  should  come  to  men.  In  v.  51  Nico- 
demus  shows  that  he  had  been  affected  by  his  interview  with  Jesus 
(3:  1-15),  and  he  is  almost  ready  to  declare  himself  an  exception  to 
the  statement  made  in  v.  48.  His  fellow  Sanhedrists  laugh  him  down 
with  the  derisive  suggestion  that  he  must  be  of  uneducated  Galilean 
extraction  since  he  is  so  eager  to  claim  a  prophet  for  Galilee. 

3.  7 :  53-8 : 1 1  is  quite  commonly  regarded  as  not  originally  a  part 
of  this  Gospel.  Read  it  rapidly,  regarding  it  as  a  picture  of  Jesus 
dealing  tenderly  with  a  bad  woman  and  plainly  with  her  accusers. 

Personal  Thought:  "He  that  believeth  on  me,  out  of  him  shall  flow 
rivers  of  living  water."  Blessings  come  not  from  things,  but  from 
persons,  or  from  things  only  in  so  far  as  things  are  the  expression 
of  personal  feeling.  An  ordinary  human  personality  in  association 
with  the  Spirit  of  Jesus  Christ  may  be  a  channel  of  surprising  good 
to  others;  the  life  of  His  Spirit  will  pulse  out  through  him  and  revive 
disspirited  men.  Anyone  may  serve  this  purpose.  It  sometimes 
happens  that  even  a  person  "  who  is  not  quite  bright,"  but  who  is 
famous  in  the  community  for  his  unfaiHng  good-will,  quickens  many 
a  more  gifted  personality  into  renewed  faith  and  hope  and  life.  It 
is  only  necessary  that  a  human  spirit  be  intimately  associated  with 
the  Spirit  of  Jesus  Christ. 

The  Bactrian  was  but  a  wild  childish  man, 
And  could  not  write  nor  speak,  but  only  loved. 

Browning,  A  Death  in  the  Desert, 


228       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXVL— ^ff isaef,  tl)c  KcDcIation  of  (SoU'c  (Sxatt  anU  Crtitl), 

^Dititiefit  tlje  JBation  (Continued) 

Fifth  Day:  Jesus  Makes  a  Divisive  Revelation  of  God's  Grace 
and  Truth  in  Jerusalem  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  (con- 
tinued).    John  7:1-10:21 

It  is  said  that  each  evening  of  the  Festival  Week  one  of  the  great 
open  courts  of  the  temple  area  was  brilliantly  lighted,  perhaps  to  sug- 
gest the  light  of  the  pillar  of  fire  which  led  the  people  through  the 
wilderness.  This  circumstance,  like  the  bringing  of  the  water  from 
Siloam,  also  gave  Jesus  a  text.  Run  rapidly  over  the  paragraph 
8:  12-59  '"  '^^  I'gl^'^  of  the  following  summary:  Jesus  asserts  His  own 
honesty  as  a  messenger  of  the  Father  (vv.  14,  16,  38,  45),  anJ  speaks 
plainly  to  His  enemies  of  their  evil  disposition  (vv.  19,  44);  many  believe 
(v.  30),  though  others  are  ready  to  kill  Him  in  unbelief  (v.  59).  Take 
up  the  paragraph  in  detail.  With  sublime  confidence  in  Himself  Jesus 
does  not  hesitate  to  say  that  everyone  who  comes  reverently  and  peni- 
tently into  personal  association  with  Himself  will  be  so  related  to  God 
as  to  have  that  "light,"  or  sincere  love,  that  constitutes  real  life.  He 
is  confident  that  His  personality  is  large  enough  to  secure  this  result 
for  the  whole  world  of  men  (v.  12).  In  saying  this  Jesus  simply  gave 
expression  to  His  own  marvelous  personal  consciousness.  He  felt 
this  capacity  in  Himself.  The  Pharisees  could  have  objected  that 
such  personal  consciousness  might  be  mistaken.  Instead  of  this  they 
went  so  far  as  to  declare  that  it  must  be  mistaken,  or  even  wilfully 
false  (v,  13).  To  them  Jesus  replied  (i)  that  He  was  sure  of  Him- 
self (v.  14);  and  (2)  that  His  Father  had  granted  a  corroboration 
of  His  personal  consciousness  (w.  17-18).  What  this  corroboration 
consisted  in  He  does  not  here  state,  but  in  chapter  5  He  stated  that 
it  was  what  His  Father  enabled  Him  to  do.  In  v.  19  they  apparently 
try  to  tempt  Jesus  into  some  explicit  statement  that  shall  serve  as 
evidence  in  a  formal  prosecurion  for  blasphemy.  In  reply  Jesus  says 
that  since  they  do  not  know  Him  they  do  not  know  God.  To  "know" 
is  to  associate  with,  to  be  sympathetically  acquainted  with.  His 
point  is  that  since  they  do  not  feel  attracted  to  Him,  neither  do  they 
care  for  God,  for  He  and  the  Father  are  alike.  John  remembers 
where  Jesus  was  when  these  significant  words  were  uttered  (v.  20). 

From  V.  21  on  the  dialogue  becomes  more  rapid  and  bitter  on  the 
part  of  the  priests  and  rabbis.  He  asserts  again  that  He  is  going 
where  they  cannot  follow  Him,  meaning  to  God.     The  reason  they 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       229 


cannot  go  to  God  is  their  sin.  During  these  critical  days  their  sin 
has  rapidly  developed  into  such  a  fixity  of  malignant  bitterness  that 
Jesus  says  they  will  not  repent,  but  will  die  in  unabating  bitterness  of 
spirit  (v.  21).  The  Jews  sneeringly  suggest  that  He  may  be  medi- 
tating suicide.  This  would  certainly  remove  Him  to  a  place  where 
they  would  not  care  to  follow  Him,  and  from  which  He  came  (v.  22). 
Jesus  replies:  "No,  no,  I  am  not  from  the  lower  regions  where  the 
suicide  goes;  I  am  from  above.  You  are  the  ones  that  are  from 
below.  I  do  not  belong  to  this  sinful,  perishing  world,  but  you  do. 
Unless  you  believe  that  I  am  from  God,  and  attach  yourselves  to  me, 
in  the  reverently  obedient  spirit  due  to  God,  I  repeat,  you  will  die  in 
your  sins"  (vv.  23-24).  In  v.  25  the  Jews  try  to  draw  from  Him 
such  a  distinct  avowal  of  Messiahship  as  will  constitute  ground  for 
His  arrest  and  conviction.  Jesus'  reply  does  not  afford  such  an 
avowal.  He  says  that  He  is  what  He  has  always  represented,  namely, 
a  messenger  and  revelation  of  God  (v.  25). 

What  probably  perplexed  the  Jews  in  all  this  conversation  was  the 
fact  that  Jesus  did  not  make  statements  regarding  His  Messiahship 
in  the  current  technical  phraseology  which  they  would  at  once  have 
seized  upon  and  used  as  ground  for  convicting  Him  of  blasphemy. 
To  the  mind  of  Jesus,  the  great  spiritual  relationship  that  He  sus- 
tained to  God  the  Father  was  all-important,  more  comprehensive  and 
more  profound  than  He  could  express  in  the  terms  currently  used  to 
describe  Messiahship.  His  mission  was  to  reveal  God  to  men  in  His 
own  person,  and  to  attach  men  in  faith  to  that  personal  revelation. 
Naturally,  therefore,  much  that  He  said  about  Himself  was  upon 
this  profound  theme,  and  could  not  certainly  be  taken  as  a  definite, 
technical  assertion  of  Messiahship.  While  it  evidently  seemed  to 
His  enemies  blasphemous,  it  was  not  of  a  character  that  made  a  dis- 
tinct charge  of  false  pretension  to  Messiahship  quite  possible.  He 
proceeds  in  v.  26:  "You  are  angry  because  I  tell  you  that  you  will 
die  in  your  sins,  but  your  conduct  is  such  as  to  afford  ample  ground 
for  my  judgment.  I  have  many  things  to  say  of  you  in  judgment. 
I  know  that  they  are  truthful  judgments,  for  they  are  inspired,  as  all 
I  say  and  do  is,  by  my  Father.  My  remark  a  moment  ago  that  you 
would  die  in  your  sins  was  God's  judgment  of  you." 

Personal  Thought:  "I  do  always  the  things  that  are  pleasing  to 
Him"  (v.  29).  Jesus  evidently  felt  Himself  to  be  sinless.  His  sin- 
lessness  is  our  comfort.  What  we  want  is  to  attach  ourselves  rest- 
fully  and  penitently  to  a  great  loving,  sinless  soul. 


230       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXVI.— ^TcfinB,  t\)t  IRctocIation  of  (SoU'c  (Scacc  anti  QTrutl), 

SDttitlCfi;  tI)C   JBatlon  {Continued) 

Sixth  Day:  Jesus  Makes  a  Divisive  Revelation  of  God's  Grace 
and  Truth  in  Jerusalem  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  (con- 
tinued).    John  7: 1-10:21 

Continue  the  detailed  study,  beginning  at  v.  31.  Vv.  31-32  con- 
tain a  remark  made  by  Jesus  to  those  who  seemed  favorably  inclined 
to  Him.  Jesus  warns  these  iaicipient  disciples  that  it  will  cost  some- 
thing to  continue  in  discipleship  (v.  31),  but  says  that  such  continu- 
ance will  give  them  an  acquaintance  with  truth  that  will  free  them  (v. 
32),  that  is,  free  them  from  bondage  to  the  selfish  habit  which  prevents 
the  development  of  personality  (v.  34).  The  hostile  Jews  catch  up 
the  conversation  at  this  point  and  protest  (v.  23)-  The  idea  of  slavery 
suggests  the  familia,  or  household,  and  Jesus  brings  them  back  again 
to  the  unwelcome  fact  that  He  whom  they  hate  regards  them  as  slaves 
and  Himself  as  the  only  one  that  can  free  them  (vv.  35-36).  He  rec- 
ognizes that  they  are  Abraham's  descendants  as  far  as  fleshly  descent 
goes,  but  they  are  so  fundamentally  out  of  sympathy  with  Abraham's 
ideas  that  they  wish  even  to  kill  Him  (v.  37).  He  then  says  that  He 
is  like  His  Father  and  they  are  like  their  father  (v.  38).  This  uncom- 
plimentary allusion  to  their  father  perplexes  them,  for  He  seems  to 
have  admitted  that  they  are  "Abraham's  seed."  Jesus  proceeds  to 
deny  that  they  are  Abraham's  descendants  really  and  spiritually,  for 
their  treatment  of  God's  truth  as  Jesus  brings  it  to  them  is  utterly  un- 
like the  conduct  of  Abraham  (vv.  39-40).  Again  He  presses  on  with 
the  perplexing  statement  that  they  are  "like  their  father."  Since 
He  seems  evidently  not  to  mean  that  Abraham  is  their  father,  they  go 
back  to  the  Old  Testament  idea  that  God  is  the  Father  of  the  nation, 
and  assert  that  their  ancestors  were  not  idolaters  and  faithless  to  the 
nation's  marriage  covenant  with  Jehovah  (v.  41).  Jesus  replies  that 
their  attitude  toward  Himself  proves  conclusively  that  they  have  no 
such  spiritual  relationship  to  God  as  warrants  their  calling  Him  their 
Father  (v.  42).  They  cannot  speak  the  dialect  of  God's  family. 
Jesus'  words  have  no  meaning  to  them  because  they  have  no  sympathy 
with  the  message  that  He  brings  from  His  Father  (v.  43).  Then  Jesus 
comes  out  explicitly  with  the  statement  that  their  spiritual  affinities 
are  with  the  devil  and  not  with  God.  Their  present  conduct  is  dev- 
ilish. The  devil  appeared  in  the  beginning  in  the  Garden  of  Eden 
as  a  murderer  and  a  liar.     He  lied  to  Eve  (Gen.  3 : 4)  and  brought 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       231 


death  upon  man.  He  had  no  "grace  and  truth."  In  their  present 
murderous  attitude  toward  Jesus  and  His  message,  the  priests  and 
rabbis  are  hke  the  devil  and  not  Uke  God  (vv.  44-47).  The  Jews 
become  so  angry  that  they  simply  call  hard  names:  "Samaritan!" 
"Demoniac!"  (v.  48).  Jesus  replies  calmly,  with  full  self-control: 
"I  am  not  a  demoniac.  I  am  honoring  God  by  fearlessly  delivering 
His  message,  and  you  are  guilty  of  dishonoring  one  who  is  faithfully 
honoring  God  (v.  49).  I  am  not  nervously  anxious  about  my  own 
reputation;  God  who  judges  truly  will  look  out  for  that  (v.  50).  Let 
me  appeal  to  you  once  more — if  you  will  accept  my  message  you  will  not 
die  in  your  sins  as  I  warned  you  a  while  ago;  you  will  live  the  eternal 
life"  (v.  51).  Read  their  reply  to  this  appeal  in  vv.  52-53.  Jesus 
speaks  again:  "I  know  that  the  statement  is  astounding.  I  do  not 
make  it  boastingly,  but  because  my  Father  bids  me  do  so,  the  Father 
whom  you  claim  as  God  (v.  54),  but  whom  you  evidently  do  not  know. 
If  I  should  fail  through  fear  to  report  the  relation  to  God  which  He 
has  made  me  so  clearly  conscious  of,  I  should  be  as  false  as  you  are 
(v.  55).  Your  father  Abraham  looked  forward  with  great  antici- 
pation to  seeing  the  day  which  I  have  come  to  inaugurate.  From 
his  heavenly  home  he  has  seen  it  and  rejoiced  in  it  (v.  56).  The  Jews 
will  not  admit  that  Jesus  came  from  heaven  where  He  may  have  known 
Abraham,  but  persist  in  treating  Him  as  a  demoniac,  and  attribute 
to  Him  the  crazy  statement  that  He  lived  in  Abraham's  time  (v.  57). 
Jesus  quietly  rephes  that  He  existed  before  Abraham  was  born  (vv. 
58,  cf.  Ex.  3 :  14-15).  At  this  piece  of  crazy  blasphemy  they  begin  to 
gather  stones,  but  Jesus  quietly  slips  away,  perhaps  with  the  help  of 
the  friendly  element  in  the  crowd  (v.  59). 

At  this  point  a  preliminary  climax  of  these  terrible  days  of  eccle- 
siastical hate  is  reached  by  the  author  in  his  narrative.  Again  answer 
the  question:  What  was  the  fundamental  difficulty  with  the  priests 
and  rabbis  ?     "If  I  say  truth  why  do  ye  not  believe  me  ?"  (v.  46). 

Personal  Thought :  "The  truth  shall  make  you  free"  (v.  32).  The 
proper  adjustment  of  one's  life  to  the  truth  leaves  him  free  to  realize 
all  the  latent  possibilities  of  his  personality.  Electrical  force  is  a  great 
mysterious  fact  or  truth.  When  one  adjusts  himself  to  it  he  is  free 
to  enlarge  the  scope  of  his  physical  hfe  and  influence  in  a  multitude 
of  ways.  God  in  Jesus  Christ  is  the  greatest  fact  or  truth  there  is. 
It  is  only  when  rightly  adjusted  to  this  great  fact  that  the  personality 
is  free  to  become  its  utmost. 


232       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXVL— STestuB,  tl)e  Ectclation  of  (toll's  (0racc  anU  Crutl), 

^itiiUtfi!  t!)C  liiation  {Continued) 

Seventh  Day:  Jesus  Makes  a  Divisive  Revelation  of  God's  Grace 
and  Truth  in  Jerusalem  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  (con- 
tinued) John  9:1-10:21 

1.  The  rabbis  have  said  that  Jesus  is  a  law-breaker.  A  law-breaker 
claiming  to  be  intimate  with  God!  Many  think  Him  to  be  the  Christ, 
but  the  priests  and  rabbis  have  decided  to  unsynagogue  any  man  who 
expresses  this  conviction.  To  be  excommunicated  from  the  syna- 
gogue involved  social  ostracism  and  financial  ruin,  and  was  the  worst 
fate  that  could  befall  a  man  who  cared  for  respectability  in  a  Jewish 
community.  Apparently,  immediately  after  the  effort  to  stone  Jesus 
(8:  59),  an  incident  occurred  that  J  hn  evidently  regarded  as  bringing 
out  into  clear  light  the  wicked  inco  sistenc  of  the  Jerusalem  rabbis. 
Jesus  and  His  disciples  passed  by  a  man  born  blind.  The  rabbis 
regarded  such  a  calamity  as  the  cons  quence  of  awful  sin  on  the  part 
of  someone.  Something  so  hideously  wrong  had  been  done  that  God 
had  blighted  him  before  his  birth  as  one  might  b'ight  an  unblossomed 
bud  by  a  touch.  Jesus  did  not  share  this  popular  view  of  the  case. 
He  regarded  the  man  who  sat  in  darkness  and  shame  as  one  in  whom 
the  tender  love  of  God  should  shine  out  into  the  Jerusalem  streets 
with  a  glory  that  would  p.  netrate  to  the  earth's  end. 

Read  John  9:  1-38  and  select  the  adjectives  that  best  characterize 
this  man.     Compare  him  with  the  men  mentioned  in  5:  i  fF. 

2.  Look  at  the  details  of  the  incident.  The  peril  from  which  Jesus 
had  just  escaped  (8:59)  brought  vividly  before  Him  what  He  well 
knew,  namely,  that  His  visible  earthly  career  would  soon  be  closed 
by  death.  His  working  day  was  nearly  ended  (v.  4).  The  thought 
of  daylight  and  approaching  darkness  naturally  merges  itself  into 
the  thought  of  this  poor  man's  long  and  continuous  night  of  blind- 
ness. Jesus  will  give  this  man  light,  and  in  this  way  symbolize  the 
function  that  He  has  come  to  exercise  spiritually  upon  the  world  (v.  5). 
The  man's  interviews  with  the  Pharisees  will  be  taken  up  to-morrow. 

Personal  Thought:  "That  the  works  of  God  should  be  made  mani- 
fest in  Him"  (v.  3).  God  utilizes  suffering  for  the  production  of  val- 
uable results.  This  man  had  a  share  with  Jesus  in  revealing  the  love 
of  God.  His  experience  has  removed  the  cataract  from  our  eyes  and 
helped  to  convince  us  that  the  love  and  light  of  God  are  around  us  in 
our  twentieth  century  sin  and  sorrow. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       0-23 


Study  XXVII.— ^fcisuB,  t^c  Keijclation  of  (Soti'ti  (0race  ani  Crutl), 

£)iiliUeg  tlft  JQation  (Continued) 

First  Day:  Jesus  Makes  a  Divisive  Revelation  of  God's  Grace 
and  Truth,  in  Jerusalem  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  (con- 
tinued).    John  9:1-10:21 

Continue  the  detailed  study  of  the  incident  in  9 : 1-38.  Read  once 
more  w.  9-34,  noticing  the  scientific  exactness,  terseness,  unreadiness  to 
go  beyond  the  facts,  and  fearlessness  of  the  man's  replies.  State  in 
your  own  words  the  argument  by  which  he  drove  the  rabbis  into  a  cor- 
ner. In  V.  24  the  rabbis  called  upon  him  to  attribute  the  cure  directly 
to  God  and  to  see  no  significance  in  Jesus'  relation  to  it.  When  the 
rabbis  found  themselves  cornered  they  simply  called  hard  names :  they 
twitted  the  man  with  the  moral  scandal  evident  in  his  being  born  blind, 
and  unsynagogued  him  (v.  34).  Jesus  heard  that  the  man  was  now  in 
some  ways  worse  oflF  than  before.  He  had  succeeded  in  begging  a  Hving 
while  he  was  blind;  now  he  had  his  sight,  but  was  unsynagogued  and 
could  neither  beg  nor  earn  a  living.  His  parents,  too,  were  probably 
pitifully  poor.  The  hard  hatred  of  the  rabbis  had  come  down  upon 
the  defenseless  man  with  tremendous  force.  Jesus  hastened  to  him 
with  a  revelation  whose  tender  directness  is  matched  only  by  that  made 
to  another  outcast  (cf.  4 :  26).     Read  w.  35-38. 

In  v.  39  there  is  reported  a  remark  which  Jesus  subsequently  made 
about  the  episode  as  a  whole.  The  remark  is  in  His  usual  enigmatical, 
thought-provoking  style.  He  had  come  into  the  world  to  show  men  their 
real  condition.  The  result  of  Jesus'  action  had  been  this :  A  man  who 
sat  in  physical  blindness  and  was  supposed  to  be  connected  with  some 
awful  moral  scandal  had  been  found  to  be  a  candid,  open-minded 
man  who  received  physical  sight  and  spiritual  vision  that  enabled  him 
to  discern  the  Christ;  those  who  posed  as  sure-sighted  spiritual  guides 
of  the  people  had  been  revealed  as  unwilling  to  recognize  the  real  Christ- 
liness  of  Jesus.  If  they  really  had  possessed  no  power  to  recognize 
Jesus  they  would  not  have  been  to  blame  for  not  seeing,  but  they  did 
have  power  of  moral  insight  and  were  therefore  guilty.  Candid  men 
will  surely  be  led  on  to  see  that  Jesus  is  from  God.  Read  w.  39-41. 
Read  rapidly  10: 1-21  in  preparation  for  further  study  to-morrow,  and 
see  if  you  can  detect  any  connection  between  its  thought  and  the  inci- 
dent in  chapter  9. 

Personal  Thought :  This  man's  sufficient  comfort  in  his  great  calamity 
was  the  fact  that  the  Messiah  was  his  friend  (w.  35-37). 


234       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXVIL— STcfiuB  tl)c  Ecbclation  of  (Sol's  (Srace  anH  QTrutl), 

3!)i\)tUt6  tI)C  Ji^iation  (ContmueJ) 

Second  Day:  Jesus  Makes  a  Divisive  Revelation  of  God's  Grace 
and  Truth  in  Jerusalem  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  (con- 
cluded).    John  io:i-2i 

The  paragraph  io:l-i8  is  best  understood  if  it  be  broken  up  into 
three  parts.  Vv.  1-5  constitute  a  parable  vv^hich  the  rabbis  were  too 
"blind"  to  understand  (v.  6).  Read  vv.  1-6.  The  sheepfold  is  an  en- 
closure shut  in  by  stone  walls.  There  is  a  gateway  into  the  sheep  yard. 
In  order  to  enter,  one  must  either  go  through  this  gateway  or  climb 
over  the  wall.  In  w.  1-5  there  are  two  pictures :  the  sneaking  sheep- 
stealer  climbing  over  the  wall  (v.  l),  and  the  shepherd  coming  in  boldly 
through  the  gate  (v.  2).  The  contrast  here  is  between  Jesus  as  the 
rabbis  regard  Him  and  Jesus  as  He  really  ts.  The  rabbis  represent 
Him  as  a  law-breaker  who  is  trying  to  steal  the  people  away  from 
the  fold  of  Mosaic  orthodoxy  (7:  12,  47).  But  Jesus  always  empha- 
sizes the  openness  of  His  methods  (cf  18:20).  The  openness  of  His 
teaching  and  the  recognition  given  Him  by  candid  people,  e.  g.  this 
blind  man,  are  evidence  that  He  is  the  shepherd.     Read  again  vv.  1-5. 

Vv.  7-10  constitute  another  parable:  Jesus,  and  not  the  rabbis,  is 
the  true  and  only  way  into  the  fold  of  God.  The  rabbis  had  shut 
the  door  against  the  blind  man  whom  they  unsynagogued,  but  Jesus 
had  let  him  in,  and  Jesus  alone  is  the  door.  The  evidence  of  it  is  His 
loving  good-will  contrasted  with  the  spiteful,  malevolent  hearts  of  the 
rabbis.  They  have  the  disposition  of  sheep-stealers.  If  life  is  the 
adaptation  of  an  organism  to  its  surroundings,  show  how  Jesus  gives  His 
disciples  abundant  life  (v.  10). 

In  V.  II  begins  another  "parable":  Jesus,  and  not  the  rabbis,  is  the 
real  shepherd.  In  w.  11-18  what  does  Jesus  cite  as  evidence  that  He 
is  the  shepherd  and  that  the  labbis  are  not  shepherds  ?  How  had  this 
been  evident  in  the  recent  episode  of  the  blind  man  ?  In  vv.  16-18  Jesus 
looks  out  into  the  wide  world  and  also  reveals  His  consciousness  of  the 
fact  that  it  will  cost  Him  His  life  to  save  the  sheep. 

Note  the  usual  "division"  in  vv.  lQ-21. 

Personal  Thought :  The  rabbis  cared  only  for  themselves.  They 
would  never  die  for  a  poor  man!  Jesus  stands  to-day  in  the  midst  of  the 
world's  humble  and  despised  like  a  shepherd  in  the  midst  of  a  huddling, 
frightened  flock  of  sheep,  ready  to  take  them  where  there  is  food  and 
life.    Are  your  sympathies  being  trained  into  agreement  with  His  ? 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       235 


Study  XXVII.— Sfes 06,  t^e  KeDelation  of  (StU'ti  (5vut  anU  dLvntlf, 

^Mtite  tl)e  jQation  {Continued) 

Third  Day:    Unbelief  Further  Developed  in  the   Capital  at  the 
Feast  of  Dedication.     John  10:22-39 

In  the  light  of  the  following  summary  read  10 :  22-39  '"  order  to  note 
the  main  facts  and  general  effect  of  the  episode:  Three  months  later 
in  'Jerusalem  Jesus  asserts  tits  own  honesty  and  claim  to  belief  as  God's 
messenger,  and  charges  His  enemies  with  inconsistency  ;  this  results  in 
further  unbelief  (v.  39).  It  appears  here  that  Jesus  had  made  no  formal 
declaration  of  Messiahship  which  could  be  used  as  evidence  against 
Him  in  a  formal  prosecution.  He  had  not  set  up  the  Messianic  standard 
and  called  the  nation  about  it  in  the  usual  fashion  of  pseudo-Messiahs. 
His  constant  insistence  upon  His  intimate  relation  to  God  His  Father 
seems  not  to  have  been  considered  by  the  rabbis  as  equivalent  to  such 
a  declaration.  It  verged  on  blasphemy,  to  be  sure,  but  definite  evi- 
dence for  a  formal  charge  of  blasphemy  was  more  vague  and  elusive 
than  a  definite  formal  announcement  of  Messiahship  would  have  been. 
Jesus  replies  (v.  25)  that  the  deeds  of  love  and  power  which  His  Father 
has  enabled  Him  to  perform  have  all  along  proven  conclusively  that  He 
is  from  God.  He  takes  up  again  the  figure  of  the  shepherd,  which  He 
used  three  months  before.  He  says  that  the  reason  the  rabbis  are  not 
drawn  to  Him  is  that  they  are  not  of  God's  flock  (w.  25-27).  In  vv.  28- 
29  He  speaks  of  someone  trying  to  "snatch"  some  of  His  sheep  away 
from  God.  This  may  well  refer  to  the  attacks  that  the  rabbis  had  been 
making  upon  the  unsynagogued  blind  man  (9 :  34)  during  the  past  three 
months.  The  poor  man  had  been  telling  Jesus  the  story  of  his  troubles. 
The  Father  who  made  Jesus  the  "shepherd"  had  so  identified  Jesus 
with  Himself  that  Almighty  Power  is  pledged  to  the  protection  of  the 
sheep  (w.  29-30).  In  v.  ^T,  Jesus  meets  them  on  their  own  plane  and 
maintains  that  calling  Himself  the  Son  of  God  is  not' sufficient  ground 
for  proceeding  against  Him  as  a  blasphemer,  for  the  Scripture  itself 
uses  the  title  "gods"  of  judges.  Cf.  Ps.  82:  6,  a  psalm  written  with  Ex. 
21:6,  22:7-9  (R.  V.  margin)  in  mind.  State  in  your  own  language 
once  more  the  argument  by  which  Jesus  justified  Himself  for  expect- 
ing the  reverent  attention  of  the  nation. 

Personal  Thought :  "I  and  the  Father  are  one."  It  is  the  simple  fact 
of  experience  that  in  Jesus  Christ  we  find  God  the  Father.  Our  highest 
conception  of  God  contains  nothing  that  is  not  realized  for  us  in  Jesus 
Christ. 


2;^6       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXVII.— ^ffitog,  tl)c  Efbdatton  of  (Sol's  (Sratc  anti  CrutI), 

£)ii)tlJCfli  tbc  Jl-Jatton  {Continued) 

Fourth  Day:  After  a  Brief  Visit  to  the  Scenes  of  His  Earliest 
Ministry,  Jesus  Does  a  Wonderful  Deed  in  a  Suburb  of  the 
Capital,     John  10:40-11:53 

1.  Read  10:40-42.  Jesus  went  back  to  the  place  where  He  had  met 
His  friend,  John  the  Baptist,  now  dead,  where  He  had  first  met  His  dis- 
ciples, and  where  their  first  Messianic  enthusiasm  had  been  experienced. 
Now  He  is  almost  an  outlaw  at  the  capital !  His  spirit  is  refreshed  by 
meeting  believers  in  this  quiet  retreat. 

2.  Jesus  was  soon  summoned  from  this  quiet  retreat,  and  in  a  suburb 
of  Jerusalem  there  occurred  the  most  striking  revelation  of  Messianic 
friendliness  that  had  yet  been  made.  Jesus  goes  back  to  Jerusalem  at 
the  risk  of  His  hfe  to  comfort  two  sisters  who  are  grieving  over  the  death 
of  their  brother.  He  makes  also  the  supreme  exhibition  of  Messianic 
power,  for  He  follows  His  friend  down  into  the  dark  pit  of  death  and 
draws  him  back,  John  as  usual  shows  that  this  wonderful  revelation 
of  God's  grace  is  followed  by  a  decisive  culmination  of  unbelief  on  the 
part  of  the  priests  and  rabbis.  Read  il :  1-53  in  the  light  of  the  follow- 
ing summary,  making  your  imagination  produce  the  picture  described 
in  each  verse,  and  noting  every  trait  in  the  character  of  Jesus  that  ap- 
pears :  Jesus  goes  fearlessly  back  to  Jerusalem  and  with  great  compas- 
sion (v.  35)  brings  His  friend  Lazarus  back  to  life  ;  He  proves  that 
belief  in  Himself  secures  life  (v.  25);  as  a  result  many  believe  (v.  45),  but 
the  unbelieving  priests  and  rabbis  formally  decide  to  kill  Him  (vv.  47-53)- 

3.  Take  up  the  narrative  in  detail.  V.  2  indicates  that  this  person 
was  a  well-known  character  among  those  for  whom  this  Gospel  is  being 
prepared.  As  soon  as  Jesus  heard  the  news  He  knew  from  His  Father 
that  there  was  no  occasion  for  solicitude  (v.  4),  The  Inner  Voice  bade 
Him  do  nothing  for  two  days  after  the  urgent  message  reached  Him  (vv. 
5-6).  Jesus  knew  that  Lazarus  was  dead  (vv.  11-14).  He  also  knew 
that  He  was  to  raise  Him  from  the  dead.  This  knowledge  came  to 
Him  in  answer  to  prayer  (v.  41).  In  w.  9-10  Jesus  says  that  the  Inner 
Voice  of  His  Father's  command,  which  shines  on  His  path  and  makes  it 
light  as  day,  shows  Him  that  the  visit  to  Jerusalem  is  not  a  pitfall. 

Personal  Thought :  Read  v.  16.  Thomas  is  slow  of  apprehension, 
but  sturdy  in  affection.  Even  though  Jesus'  vision  of  an  ideal  civiliza- 
tion were  a  vain  one,  there  could  be  nothing  better  than  going  down  to 
defeat  with  Him  in  the  effort  to  realize  it. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       237 


Study  XXVII.— S'efiittg,  t\}t  Eetclation  Df  (Soti's  (Svutt  anlr  Evntii, 

^Mtidi  tilt  Jl5ation  (Continued) 

Fifth  Day:  Jesus'  Wonderful  Deed  in  the  Suburb  of  Jerusalem 
(concluded).    John  11:1-53 

Is  there  any  evidence  in  w.  17-30  that  anyone  desired  not  to  have 
Jesus'  enemies  in  Jerusalem  know  that  He  was  near  ?  Martha  seemed 
to  feel  that  Jesus  could  do  something  even  then  (v.  22),  but  did  not 
have  in  mind  a  restoration  to  life  (w.  24,  39).  In  w.  25-26  Jesus 
asserts  His  power  to  give  an  enduring  life  in  the  Messianic  Kingdom  to 
those  who  attach  themselves  in  faith  to  Him.  Wherever  He  is,  there 
resurrection  power  is  present.  This  much  Martha  believed,  and  it  did 
her  good  to  emphasize  what  she  believed  (w.  26-27).  When  Mary  came 
to  Jesus  she  broke  out  into  the  oriental  wail,  and  the  friends  from  the 
city  joined  her  in  it  (v.  33).  Jesus  was  profoundly  moved  (v.  33)  and 
the  tears  flowed  silently  down  His  cheeks  (v.  35).  He  wished  to  go  to 
the  grave  and  do  quickly  what  He  had  come  to  do  (v.  34).  Why  was 
Jesus  so  profoundly  moved,  since  He  knew  that  Lazarus  would  soon 
be  restored  I  Jesus  wished  to  show  that  it  was  His  Father  who  enabled 
Him  to  shout  into  the  burial  chamber  and  call  the  dead  friend  forth 
(vv.  41-43)- 

The  priests  and  rabbis  felt  that  this  last  great  deed  of  Jesus  would 
convince  the  people  of  His  Messiahship  and  result  in  an  insurrection. 
The  Romans  would  put  down  an  insurrection,  and  they  themselves, 
since  they  would  be  shown  unable  to  control  the  people,  would  lose 
their  standing.  In  this  emergency  the  high  priest  spoke  out  like  the 
machine  politician  that  He  was  (w.  49-50).  John  saw  in  his  words  a 
deeper  meaning  (w.  51-52).  The  fundamental  reason  why  both  priests 
and  rabbis  v^shed  to  kill  Jesus  was  that  He  interfered  with  the  realiza- 
tion of  their  selfish  ambitions.  They  were  no  more  selfish  than  other 
men  in  other  days  who  sacrifice  whatever  comes  between  them  and  the 
gratification  of  their  personal  ambition.  Only  in  this  case  it  happened 
to  be  the  Christ  of  God  that  stood  in  their  way. 

Personal  Thought :  Highly  developed  selfishness  makes  a  man  blind. 
He  will  not  see  things  as  they  are.  He  will  not  see  the  value  of  life  and 
friends;  he  vnll  not  see  anything  attractive  in  Jesus  Christ.  There- 
fore, as  a  man  values  his  real  life  and  power  of  appreciation  of  all  things 
high  and  holy,  he  must  fight  selfishness  in  himself.  He  must  call  upon 
Jesus  Christ  to  save  him  from  the  daily  life  of  developing  selfishness 
and  the  inevitable  misery  that  it  entails. 


238       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXVU.—'SJe&nfi,  tl)c  Kf delation  of  (Soti'fi  (3vut  mil  Crittl), 
DtijiUCB  t\)t  JfiJation  (Continued) 

Sixth    Day:    Jesus  Goes  to  Jerusalem  for  the  Last  Feast.    John 
11:54-12:35 

1.  After  the  bringing  back  of  Lazarus,  Jesus  slipped  quietly  away 
from  the  Jerusalem  authorities.  Read  11:54-57:  Quiet  waiting  in 
Ephraim  with  the  believers  (v.  54)  for  the  final  exhibition  of  unbelief 
(v.  57).  Read  12:  i-il  :  In  spite  of  the  purpose  of  the  Sanhedrin  to  kill 
Jesus,  He  comes  early  to  the  feast  and  is  given  a  banquet  by  the  Bethany 
friends;  Jesus  and  Lazarus  attract  the  common  people;  therefore  the  un- 
believing priests  and  rabbis  plan  to  kill  Lazarus  also.  Jesus  is  still  in  the 
home.  His  Messiahship,  which  began  in  personal  friendships  (i :  35-57), 
in  a  wedding  (2:  i-u),  and  has  just  manifested  itself  wonderfully  at  a 
funeral  (chap.  11),  is  still  a  matter  of  the  home,  of  social  life  and  indi- 
vidual joys  and  griefs,  a  manifestation  of  the  friendliness  of  God  in  the 
commonplace  relationships  of  daily  life  rather  than  in  a  political  office 
and  busy  interviews  with  "important  persons." 

2.  Read  12:  12-43:  Jesus  enters  the  city  luith  the  believers  (w.  12-19); 
the  susceptible  Greeks  appear  (v.  20),  and  He  speaks  with  great  gracious- 
ness  of  Hts  readiness  to  suffer  and  of  His  desire  to  have  His  friends  with 
Him  in  glory  (v.  26);  but  the  leaders  will  not  believe  (vv.  36-40). 

The  Greeks  (v.  20)  were  probably  foreigners  who  in  their  home 
cities  were  accustomed  to  attend  the  Jewish  synagogue  and  to  worship 
Jehovah  without  becoming  Jewish  proselytes  (cf.  Acts  10:1-3;  Luke 
7  :  2-10).  They  probably  came  from  Philip's  town.  When  Jesus  heard 
that  these  representatives  of  the  great  Gentile  world  wished  to  have  an 
interview  with  Him,  His  spirit  kindled  (v.  23).  Perhaps  some  such 
vision  as  that  in  Rev.  7 :  g-io  passed  before  His  mind.  He  saw  the 
evil  world  dominated  by  the  evil  one,  transformed  into  a  humanity  gath- 
ered about  Himself  (vv.  31-32).  Read  carefully  w.  24-33,  '"  which 
Jesus  states  that  this  vision  can  be  realized  only  through  His  death. 
Jesus  knew  that  He  could  draw  all  men  to  His  friendship  only  through 
self-denial.  If  He  refused  to  deny  Himself  and  die.  His  eternity  would 
be  a  lonely  one  (v.  24).  This  is  as  true  of  His  disciples  as  of  Himself 
(w.  25-26).  In  w.  25-36  He  makes  His  final  appeal,  and  then  leaves 
for  a  day  or  two  of  quiet  before  the  end. 

Personal  Thought :  Jesus  hungered  for  friendship.  His  conception 
of  heaven  was  to  be  in  the  midst  of  His  friends,  and  His  conception  of 
hell  to  be  left  "alone"  (v.  24). 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       239 


Study  XXVIL— STcsttS,  tl)e  Kcbelation  of  (SoU's  (SvKtt  anU  Crntb, 

^DiDiaCfl!  t\)t  JQattOn  (Concluded) 

Seventh  Day:   The  Doom  of  the  Unbelieving   Element  in  the 
Nation.     John  12:36-50 

1.  Jesus'  last  words  to  the  nation  were  words  of  warning.  They 
still  had  a  chance  to  believe  in  Him.  If  they  rejected  this  chance 
they  would  pass  out  into  the  darkness  with  no  sense  of  purpose  or 
destination.  Read  again  vv.  35-36.  The  result  of  Jesus'  long  reve- 
lation of  God's  grace  and  truth  to  the  national  leaders  is  described 
in  vv.  37-43-  Their  punishment  for  rejecting  Jesus  was  to  be  left 
in  a  state  which  was  the  natural  consequence  of  their  action.  John 
has  already  made  it  evident  that  the  people  favored  Jesus,  and  that 
it  was  the  ecclesiastical  "machine"  that  determined  to  kill  Him.  Now 
He  notes  that  many  of  the  priests  and  rabbis  were  convinced  that 
Jesus  was  from  God,  but  did  not  dare  to  go  against  the  "machine" 
(vv.   42-43)- 

2.  In  vv.  44-50  John  summarizes  the  gist  of  the  message  to  the 
nation.  In  v.  36  Jesus  left  the  temple,  and  vv.  44-50  are  therefore 
not  thought  of  as  spoken  at  any  particular  time.  They  are  rather 
His  long  cry  (v.  44)  to  the  nation  during  His  entire  ministry.  Read 
these  verses  and  make  a  list  in  your  own  words  of  the  principal  state- 
ments in  them. 

Personal  Thought:  "His  commandment  is  life  eternal"  (v.  50). 
God  is  not  bent  upon  making  men  do  some  hard  thing  just  for  the 
sake  of  seeing  them  do  it.  His  commandments  are  like  the  orders  of 
a  ship's  captain  in  time  of  peril  at  sea.  They  mean  life  to  the  men 
who  obey  them.  Or  they  are  like  a  father's  directions  to  his  children 
in  great  danger.  They  throb  with  the  father's  eager  and  loving  de- 
sire to  see  his  children  escape  trouble. 


240       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXVIIL— 3lff6afi(  JHakeg  an  SHnrcfiertcti  Bctjelation  of 
(Bxate  auU  Crutl)  ptttoatclp  to  ^ia  T)im9lefi,  ®>I)tcI)  Kc- 
£tnlt£t  in  -Selirf 

First  Day:  Jesus  Shows  His  Disciples  Love  Expressing  Itself  in 
Common  Service.    John  13:1-30 

In  chapters  13-17  Jesus  is  shut  in  with  the  disciples  and  speaks 
with  an  unreserve  that  has  not  been  possible  in  His  words  to  mis- 
cellaneous audiences.  His  love  is  so  deep  and  tender  that  it  can 
content  itself  with  nothing  less  than  some  almost  extravagant  ex- 
pression of  itself,  Uke  the  intense  love  of  the  mother  of  a  sick  child, 
who  is  eager  to  do  even  the  most  menial  service.  The  love  glorifies 
the  act  which  might  otherwise  seem  servile  or  unbecoming.  Read 
13:  1-20:  Jesus,  in  the  full  consciousness  of  Hts  mission  to  manifest 
the  Father  (v.  3),  is  impelled  by  His  strong  friendliness  (v.  l)  to  do  a 
surprising  service  for  His  disciples;  He  also  speaks  frankly  about 
treachery  in  the  inner  circle,  and  tries  to  forestall  the  effect  of  it  on  their 
belief  in  Him  (v.  1 9).  The  disciples  stared  as  they  saw  Jesus  laying 
aside  His  outer  garment  (v.  4)  for  this  humble  service.  Peter  objected, 
but  Jesus  promised  to  explain  in  a  few  moments  (v.  7),  and  told  him 
that  he  would  have  no  part  in  the  Messianic  Kingdom  if  the  service 
were  not  accepted  (v.  8).  After  the  bath  which  ceremonially  pre- 
pared one  to  eat  the  Passover  Supper,  it  was  necessary  only  to  wash 
the  feet  which  might  have  touched  some  contaminating  substance  on 
the  way  to  the  supper  (v.  10).  There  is  a  play  on  the  word  "clean." 
One  man  in  the  group  was  not  spiritually  cleansed  for  the  supper 

(v.     II). 

After  Jesus  had  gone  around  the  group  with  basin  and  towel,  He 
explained  His  action  (w.  12-17)  as  He  had  promised  to  do  (v.  7). 
What  did  He  intend  His  action  to  teach  the  disciples  ? 

They  are  not  to  let  the  fact  that  one  of  their  number  is  a  traitor 
destroy  their  self-respect  or  mutual  confidence  (v.  20).  The  traitor 
is  not  really  one  of  them  (v.  18). 

Personal  Thought :  "If  ye  know  these  things,  blessed  are  ye  if  ye  do 
them"  (v,  17).  "Christian  service"  in  Jesus'  thought  is  a  very  sim- 
ple thing.  It  springs  from  love  and  consists  in  a  readiness  to  do 
whatever  commonplace  kindness  the  intercourse  of  daily  life  makes 
possible.  He  who  cultivates  this  spirit  knows  what  true  "blessed- 
ness" is.     The  deep  joy  of  Jesus  Himself  wells  up  in  His  heart. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       241 


Study  XXVIIL— S'cstts  iflEkcfi  an  SSnreserbcti  KeUcIatfon  of 
(©race  anU  Crut^  pribaUtp  to  |)i6  £)i6ciple6,  WUth  Ee. 
gtilts  in  belief 

Second  Day:  Jesus  Sends  Away  the  Traitor  and  Begins  His 
Most  Confidential  Revelation  of  Grace  and  Truth.  John  13: 
21-38 

Read  John  13:21-38:  The  spirit  of  Jesus  is  seriously  disturbed  by 
the  presence  of  the  trattor  in  the  inner  circle  (v.  21),  and  after  the  traitor 
is  sent  from  the  room  (v,  27),  Jesus  etnphasizes  the  fact  that  such  friend- 
liness towards  each  other  as  He  has  felt  for  them  is  to  be  the  essential 
characteristic  of  discipleship  (vv.  34-35)  ;  He  speaks  frankly  to  Peter 
about  his  impending  disloyalty  (vv.  36-38).  According  to  vv,  23-26, 
Peter  and  the  one  whom  Jesus  loved  knew  who  the  traitor  was.  Judas 
evidently  sat  near  Jesus,  perhaps  next  to  Him,  and  overheard  enough 
to  know  that  He  was  being  designated  as  the  traitor.  Something 
in  the  action  of  Jesus  brought  Judas  to  the  full  determination,  and 
Jesus  saw  that  the  only  thing  now  to  wish  for  was  that  the  terrible 
experience  be  over  as  soon  as  possible  (v.  27).  If  the  "feast"  in  v. 
29  is  the  Passover  Supper,  then  John's  Gospel  represents  Jesus  to 
have  been  arrested  the  night  before  the  Passover  and  to  have  been 
crucified  on  the  day  in  the  evening  of  which  the  Passover  was  eaten. 
Such  a  representation  is  different  from  that  in  the  Synoptic  Gospels, 
which  represent  Jesus  to  have  been  arrested  after  having  eaten  the 
Passover  Supper  with  His  disciples.  It  is  maintained  that  the  "  feast " 
here  in  v.  29  refers  to  a  feast  regularly  observed  the  day  after  the  Pass- 
over Supper.  After  Judas  had  gone  out  into  the  night,  which  John 
seems  to  feel  was  also  the  night  of  his  soul  (v.  30),  Jesus  spoke  with 
greater  freedom.  He  spoke  first  of  his  own  exaltation  that  was  imme- 
diately at  hand  (vv.  31-33).  The  long  faithful  effort  to  reveal  God 
in  terms  of  human  Ufe  and  death  was  almost  ended.  Although  the 
priests  and  rabbis  had  contemptuously  rejected  His  revelation,  God 
was  about  to  vindicate  Him  by  taking  Him  to  Himself. 

Personal  Thought:  Read  vv.  34-35.  Jesus'  fundamental  ambi- 
tion for  His  disciples  was  that  they  might  reproduce  in  their  lives  His 
most  prominent  characteristics.  His  great  Messianic  work  consisted 
in  so  living  in  the  commonplace  relationships  of  life  as  to  reveal  fully 
the  love  of  the  unseen  Father.  He  is  concerned  about  only  one  thing, 
namely,  that  His  disciples  shall  do  the  same  thing. 


242       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXVIII.— 3fcgU£(  Jflatifjt  an  5Hnrc6frtcti  Kcbclation  of 
(Srace  anU  Crutl)  pribatelp  to  pie  £)ificipIcB,  W\)ic\^  Kc-- 
Bultfi  in  •^Sclicf 

Third  Day:  The  Confidential  Revielation.    John  14 

1.  Before  reading  any  further  on  this  page,  read  chapter  14  rapidly 
through  and  make  up  your  mind  what  its  main  drift  is. 

2.  Compare  the  following  summary  with  the  result  of  your  own 
reading:  Jesus  appeals  to  the  inner  circle  to  believe  in  Him  as  a 
revelation  of  God  (vv.  i,  6-1 1),  urging  as  motives  the  achievements 
through  prayer  that  will  be  possible  to  them  (vv.  II-14),  the  endless 
association  with  the  holy,  eternal,  and  helpful  Spirit  of  God  that  will  he 
theirs  (vv.  16-24),  ^"^  '^^  peace  that  He  will  leave  with  them  (v.  26). 

Begin  a  closer  survey  of  the  chapter:  "Do  not  be  worried  by  what  I 
have  said  (13:33,  36-37)  about  going  away.  You  believe  in  God  as 
an  abiding,  though  unseen,  fact;  have  the  same  confidence  in  me  (v.  l). 
My  going  away  is  in  your  interest,  for  I  am  going  away  to  provide  a 
future  in  which  you  and  I  shall  work  endlessly  together"  (vv.  2-3). 
The  figure  in  v.  2  seems  to  be  that  of  a  homestead  with  rooms  enough 
for  all  the  children.  Jesus'  love  for  these  men  is  so  strong  that  He 
cannot  do  without  them.  Read  again  13:1.  Vv.  4-6  bring  out  the 
perplexity  of  the  disciples.  The  idea  of  the  Messiah  "going  to  His 
Father,"  seemed  to  them  before  the  event  an  unintelligible  conception. 
What  it  is  for  us  to  "come  to  the  Father"  is  best  understood  by  thinking 
of  other  personal  relationships.  When  we  say  that  we  cannot  "get 
at  a  person"  we  mean  that  he  will  not  share  with  us  the  great  fun- 
damental purposes  and  ambitions  of  his  life.  The  "way"  to  God  is 
Jesus  Christ,  because  in  Jesus  Christ's  own  person  God  is  ready  to 
share  with  us  His  own  purposes  and  ambitions.  Spiritual  truth  does 
not  consist  in  statements,  but  in  the  attitude  of  a  person.  Jesus 
Christ's  personality  is  exactly  what  it  ought  to  be;  He  is  absolutely 
"the  truth."  "Life"  also  consists  in  right  relations  to  personal  en- 
vironment. Jesus  Christ's  relation  to  God  and  man  is  exactly  what 
it  ought  to  be.     He  is  therefore  "the  life." 

Personal  Thought:  "No  one  cometh  unto  the  Father  but  by  me" 
(v.  6).  This  is  not  an  arbitrary  statement.  Jesus  Christ  is  God  at 
His  clearest  in  terms  of  human  personality.  In  the  nature  of  the 
case,  therefore,  no  human  being  can  get  at  God  in  any  adequate  way 
except  through  Jesus  Christ. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ        243 


Study  XXVIII.— ^fecttfii  ^Kktti  an  SEnrccerbeU  Kcbelation  of 
(Srace  anti  CrtttI)  |)rti]atelp  to  pis  disciples,  WUt\f  Ke- 
BttltB  in  belief 

Fourth  Day:   The  Confidential  Revelation  (continued) .   John  14 

In  V.  8  Philip  asks  for  some  theophany  like  that  in  Ex.  33:18-23. 
Jesus'  reply  is  that  His  own  character  expressing  itself  in  daily  life  is  a 
perfect  theophany.  His  words  and  deeds  of  absolutely  pure  love  con- 
stitute Him  a  flawless  expression  of  the  unseen  God.  God  is  not 
simply  like  Jesus,  but  is  in  Him  (vv.  9-10).  Jesus  feels  in  His  own 
personal  consciousness  that  this  is  so.  He  would  be  glad  to  have  His 
disciples  feel  sufficient  confidence  in  Him  to  believe  His  simple  report 
of  His  own  personal  consciousness,  but  if  this  is  too  hard  for  them,  let 
them  be  convinced  by  the  character  of  His  deeds  of  love  and  power 
(v.  11).  "Anyone  who  will  believe  in  me  will  be  able  to  accomplish 
through  prayer  greater  results  than  I  have  ever  achieved"  (vv.  12-15). 
This  is  because  Jesus  so  loves  His  disciples.  He  takes  as  great  delight 
in  their  accomplishments  as  in  His  own,  and  will  share  His  own  achieve- 
ments with  them.  "If  you  yield  me  a  love  so  sincere  as  to  involve 
obedience,  I  will  have  the  Father  send  you  a  Great  Helper,  who  will 
help  you  as  I  myself  have  been  doing,  and  who  will  never  leave  you" 
(vv.  15-17).  The  Greek  word  for  "Comforter"  is  better  translated 
"Helper"  (margin  R.  V.).  He  is  called  not  only  the  Helper,  but  also 
the  "Spirit  of  Truth";  that  is,  His  characteristics  are  kindness  and 
honesty,  "grace  and  truth."  "After  I  disappear  I  shall  keep  on 
loving  you  just  the  same,  and  shall  be  able  to  make  you  feel  it.  I 
shall  still  continue  to  bring  God  to  you  (vv.  18-24).  The  Helper 
who  continues  my  work  will  keep  my  teachings  fresh  in  your  minds 
(w.  25-26).  You  have  often  wondered  at  my  unruffled  peace  of  mind 
in  spite  of  all  the  hatred  that  I  have  experienced.  This  peace  is  my 
legacy  to  you.  It  is  better  than  the  legacies  that  men  of  the  world 
leave  behind  them!  (v.  27).  Now  do  not  be  anxious  because  I  am  to 
leave  you.  Your  love  for  me  should  lead  you  to  congratulate  me,  for 
it  is  an  honor  to  be  called  back  to  the  Father.  My  reason  for  speak- 
ing to  you  of  it  has  not  been  to  alarm  you,  but  to  forestall  anxiety  (vv. 
28-29).  My  words  must  be  few  for  I  have  a  great  temptation  to  en- 
dure. It  is  the  Father's  arrangement  and  will  prove  to  the  world  that 
I  really  do  love  the  Father  and  will  obey  Him  at  any  cost"  (v.  31). 

J^ersonal  Thought :  Have  you  claimed  your  legacy  of  peace  ? 


244       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXVIII.— STeaas  iHafetJi  an  ©nrestrtjcti  Ertdation  of 
(3vatc  anti  Crntb  prtbatclp  to  pis  '^mi^^lta,  WUt^  Ke- 
finite;  in  belief 

Fifth  Day:  The  Confidential  Revelation  (continued).   John  15 

1.  When  Jesus'  conversation  reached  the  end  of  chapter  14  it  was 
interrupted  by  the  departure  of  the  company  from  the  room  in  which 
they  had  gathered.  The  sight  of  a  vine  may  have  suggested  the 
figure  in  15:1,  but  Israel  was  often  spoken  of  by  the  prophets  as 
God's  vine.  Read  chapters  15  and  l6  rapidly  and  before  reading 
further  on  this  page  determine  their  main  drift. 

2.  Now  compare  the  result  of  your  reading  with  the  following 
summary:  Jesus  emphasizes  the  intimate  personal  relationship  that 
will  exist  between  Him  and  those  who  believe  in  Him  (15:  1-8);  He 
tells  them  how  much  He  loves  them  (15:9-16)),  and  tenderly  warns 
them  that  they  will  have  to  suffer  for  His  sake,  but  promises  them  glori- 
ous days  afterwards  (15:  18-16:  12);  the  clouds  break  away  and  the 
disciples  finally  respond  heartily  that  they  believe  (16:29-30). 

3.  Take  up  chapter  15  in  detail.  "I  shall  be  to  you  like  a  vine  whose 
branches  are  so  tended  by  God  Himself  as  to  produce  the  largest  pos- 
sible fruitage  of  loving  life"  (vv.  1-8).  These  words  are  not  a  threat, 
but  a  promise.  In  calling  Himself  the  "genuine"  vine  (v.  i),  He 
implies  that  He  and  those  who  identify  themselves  with  Him  are  the 
real  nation  concerning  which  God's  prophets  have  spoken.  God 
wishes  to  secure  the  largest  possible  output  of  love,  and  so  "cleans" 
the  vine  of  all  superfluous  growth  (v.  2).  The  men  to  whom  Jesus  is 
speaking  are  all  "clean"  for  fruit-bearing.  His  teaching  and  per- 
sonal influence  have  made  them  so  (v.  3).  The  point  to  be  scrupu- 
lously guarded  is  their  union  of  spirit  with  Him  (vv.  4-6).  If  this  be  so 
close  that  they  may  be  said  fairly  to  live  in  Him,  and  to  give  immediate 
acceptance  to  every  message  that  comes  from  Him,  they  will  be  con- 
stantly breathing  out  prayerful  aspirations  that  will  find  realization 
(v.  7).  If  they  yield  large  fruitage  of  love  and  prayerful  achievement, 
God  will  be  made  glorious  in  the  sight  of  men  and  they  will  accom- 
plish the  true  work  of  disciples  (v.  8). 

Personal  Thought :  This  unfailing  and  abundant  good-will  is  to 
be  exercised  towards  those  who  are  uncongenial  and  in  situations 
that  are  trying.  There  is  absolutely  no  way  to  do  this  except  by 
keeping  in  constant  touch  with  the  great  heart  of  Jesus  Christ. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       245 


Study  XXVIII.— ST^^fittB  f^aiita  an  SEnreeiertjeU  Kebelattoa  of 
(3xatt  anU  STrutl)  |)rtbatelp  to  ^tg  Disciples,  WUt^  Ke= 
CttltB  in  belief 

Sixth  Day:  The  Confidential  Revelation  (continued).   John  15 

In  V.  9  Jesus  breaks  out  in  unrestrained  tenderness.  "God,"  He 
says,  "does  not  love  me  more  than  I  love  you  I  Rest  trustfully  in  my 
love  by  doing  all  my  bidding,  just  as  I  have  rested  in  my  Father's 
love  by  doing  all  He  bade  me  (w.  Q-io).  My  motive  in  saying  these 
things  to  you  is  my  desire  to  see  you  as  perfectly  happy  as  I  am  (v.  1 1). 
This  happiness  can  be  realized  only  in  such  love  for  each  other  as 
you  have  seen  me  feel  for  you  (v.  12).  My  love  for  you  is  soon  to  be 
put  to  the  extreme  test  (v.  13).  I  am  dying  for  you  as  a  man  dies  for 
his  friends.  You  must  be  real  friends  to  me  and  show  that  friend- 
ship by  loving  each  other  as  I  have  loved  you  (v.  14).  You  and  I  have 
been  thought  of  as  master  and  servants,  but  my  heart  bids  me  give 
you  a  higher  title,  and  that  is  "  Friends."  I  have  not  treated  you  as 
servants;  I  have  shared  with  you  as  with  friends  all  the  secret  things 
that  God  has  revealed  to  me  (v.  15).  I  loved  you  before  you  began 
to  love  me,  and  I  invited  you  to  be  with  me  in  the  close  relation 
of  discipleship  that  you  might  bear  the  rich  fruitage  of  an  invincible 
and  unfailing  life  of  love  so  great  that  God  can  safely  trust  you  to  use 
in  love  anything  that  you  care  to  ask  Him  for  (v.  16).  I  must  say  it 
to  you  again  :  my  commandment  is  simply  that  you  love  each  other  (v. 
17).  You  must  have  this  invincible  love  in  the  face  of  a  world  of  hate. 
Your  life  will  be  so  incomprehensible  to  the  world's  hate  that  you  will 
suffer  as  you  have  seen  me  suffer  at  the  hands  of  the  priests  and  rabbis 
(vv.  18-20).  The  trouble  with  the  world  is  that  it  is  not  acquainted 
with  God  (v.  21).  The  priests  and  rabbis  would  have  gone  on  as 
usual  with  ritual  and  theology,  unaware  of  their  real  antipathy  to 
God,  if  I  had  not  brought  God  to  their  very  doors  in  my  own  per- 
sonality (vv.  22-24).  The  Scripture  predicted  their  hatred  (v.  25). 
When  the  Great  Helper,  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  comes  He  will  continue  my 
insistence  that  I  am  from  God,  and  you  who  have  known  me  so  long 
must  join  Him  in  this  insistence"  (v.  27). 

Personal  Thought :  "Bear  ye  also  witness"  (v.  27).  Our  Lord  has 
left  us  an  unfinished  work.  In  fellowship  with  the  strong  Spirit  of 
God  we  are  to  report  that  we  have  found  Jesus  to  be  the  one  who 
brings  us  to  the  Father. 


0.4-6       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXVIII.— STcfiuis  fPiJi'kte  an  5EixrcEicrt)cti  Etbclation  of 
(State  anK  ©rutl)  fjritjatclp  to  j^t6  S^tsciplest,  WWb  Kc= 
6nlt£i  in  -jSelief 

Seventh  Day:  The  Confidential  Revelation  (continued).  John  1 6 

Begin  at  l6:  i,  and  compare  the  text  carefully  with  the  paraphrase: 
"I  am  telling  you  beforehand  how  much  trouble  you  will  have  so  that 
you  may  not  be  surprised  by  it  and  led  to  give  up  (vv.  1-2).  The  expla- 
nation of  men's  hatred  of  you  is  that  they  do  not  comprehend  God  and 
myself  (v.  3).  I  did  not  tell  you  of  this  trouble  to  come  when  you  gath- 
ered about  me  in  the  first  flush  of  your  Messianic  enthusiasm,  because  I 
was  with  you  and  could  help  you  to  bear  it  as  it  began  to  come  (v.  4); 
but  now  I  am  to  leave  you  and  return  to  Him  who  sent  me.  You 
scarcely  dare  to  ask  me  the  question  that  is  uppermost  in  your  minds, 
but  I  know  that  your  hearts  are  sad  (vv.  5-6).  I  want  you  to  feel  sure 
that  it  is  a  good  thing  for  you  to  have  me  go.  The  Great  Helper  will 
not  come  to  you  if  I  stay  here  in  the  flesh  with  you  (v.  7).  Great 
things  will  be  done  when  He  comes  to  you.  He  will  invade  the  world 
of  hate  that  persecutes  us  and  make  sin,  righteousness,  and  judgment 
great  realities  to  it.  He  will  show  the  world  the  sin  of  failing  to  accept 
me  as  the  revelation  of  God;  He  will  make  the  world  see  that  I  am 
not  the  wicked  one  the  rabbis  declare  me  to  be,  but  a  righteous  one 
whom  God  has  taken  to  Himself.  He  will  make  men  feel  the  force 
of  judgment  as  they  see  the  proud  spirit  of  the  world  increasingly 
condemned  (vv.  8-11). 

I  have  it  in  my  heart  to  say  many  things  to  you  that  you  are  not 
yet  equal  to  hearing.  However,  when  the  Spirit  of  Truth  comes. 
He  will  go  on  with  the  revelation;  for  He,  like  myself,  will  speak 
what  He  hears  from  the  Father,  and  He  will  lead  you  into  the  truths 
of  the  New  Order  (vv.  12-13).  He  will  make  me  appear  glorious,  for 
He  will  take  my  great  ideas  and  teach  them  to  you.  I  say  my  ideas, 
for  all  the  ideas  that  lie  in  the  mind  of  God  are  mine  (vv.  14-15). 

Write  a  paragraph  that  shall  sum  up  the  thought  of  16-24. 

Personal  Thought :  "Ask  and  ye  shall  receive,  that  your  joy  may 
be  full."  God  is  a  father  who  wishes  to  make  His  children  glad  by 
giving  them  things.  He  will  not  spoil  His  children  by  giving  them 
too  many  things,  or  the  wrong  kind  of  things.  When  they  have  grown 
into  perfect  sympathy  with  Jesus  Christ  they  are  not  likely  to  want 
what  they  would  better  not  have. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       247 


Study  XXlX.—'St&vni    iJtafecEi    an    5Snrc6crtoeU    Kctjclatton  of 
(Sracc  anU  CrutI)  |)ribatelp  to  pis  T>mipUe,  WWh  Ke« 

fittltfi   in  belief  {Continued) 

First  Day:  The  Confidential  Revelation  (continued).     John  i6: 

25-17:26 

1.  In  continuance  of  the  detailed  study  read  again  i6:  25-33.  Jesus 
anticipates  a  time  when  His  disciples  will  be  better  able  to  compre- 
hend the  truths  which  mean  so  much  to  Him  than  they  now  are  (v.  25). 
They  will  then  see  that  He  is  not  between  them  and  the  Father,  but 
that  in  Him  the  Father  has  come  directly  to  them  in  love  (vv.  26-27). 
After  Jesus'  reiteration  of  His  great  message  (v.  28),  the  clouds  seem 
to  be  breaking  away  from  the  disciples'  outlook  and  they  confess  to 
a  better  understanding  of  Him.  It  is  only  a  partial  clearing  away, 
however.  His  half  apology  for  speaking  to  them  in  parables  (v.  25) 
makes  them  wish  to  seem  to  have  a  clearer  understanding  of  His 
words  than  they  really  have  (v.  29).  Anyway,  they  do  not  wish  Him 
to  think  that  they  doubt  either  His  knowledge  or  His  ability  to  tell 
what  He  knows  so  clearly  as  to  make  questions  unnecessary  (v.  30). 
Jesus  recognizes  the  incompleteness  of  their  understanding,  and  with 
characteristic  sincerity  warns  them  that  they  will  soon  abandon  Him 
(vv.  31-32).  However,  there  is  a  better  time  to  come,  when  their 
perplexed  and  unstable  faith  will  be  replaced  by  a  peaceful  trust  in 
Him.  Even  the  world's  persecution,  which  for  a  few  hours  will  scare 
them  away  from  Him,  will  not  permanently  frighten  them.  They  will 
soon  see  Him  overcome  the  worst  that  the  world  can  do,  and  then  they 
will  have  everlasting  good  cheer  (v.  33). 

2.  As  Jesus'  spirit  kindled  with  strong  love  for  His  disciples.  He 
finally  lifted  them  up  in  prayer  and  laid  them  on  the  heart  of  the  In- 
finite Father.  Read  chapter  17  through  rapidly  and  make  a  list  of 
the  principal  things  for  which  Jesus  prayed.  What  did  He  want  for 
Himself?     What  did  He  want  for  His  disciples.? 

Personal  Thought:  "Ye  shall  be  scattered  every  man  to  His  own 
and  shall  leave  me  alone"  (16 :  32).  Every  man  to  his  own  and  Jesus 
left  alone  !  It  is  a  situation  that  repeats  itself.  Many  a  man  looks 
only  to  his  business  or  pleasure,  and  leaves  Jesus  alone  in  His  great 
effort  to  meet  the  world's  needs.  The  situation  would  be  pathetic 
if  it  were  not  for  the  words  that  follow:  "And  yet  I  am  not  alone." 
The  Almighty  Father  is  with  Him,  and  ultimately  it  will  be  the  men 
who  went  busily  about  their  own  selfish  concerns  that  are  alone. 


248       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXIX.— ^efiuei   JHafecB    an    5Snrc6crtoeU   Hebclatioa   of 
(3xRtt  anti  STrut!)  |)rttiatclp  to  pla  £)tBciplcB,  WUt\i  Ke= 

units  in  belief   {Continued) 
Second  Day:  The  Confidential  Revelation  (continued).    John  17 

Look  in  detail  at  the  great  prayer.  The  sense  of  crisis  was  strong 
in  the  mind  of  Jesus,  and  He  wished  God  to  help  Him  so  gloriously 
through  the  crisis  that  He  might  continue  to  be  a  glorious  revelation 
of  God  and  so  make  God  glorious  in  the  eyes  of  men  (v.  i).  His 
whole  mission  had  been  to  show  men  in  His  own  person  the  glorious 
God  of  grace  and  truth,  and  so  attach  them  to  Himself,  the  manifesta- 
tion of  God,  as  to  give  them  enduring  life.  He  must  not  fail  to  do 
this  in  the  final  crisis.  Read  carefully  vv.  1-3.  In  vv.  4-6  Jesus  re- 
ports the  accomplishment  of  His  errand.  He  has  made  God's  "  name," 
that  is.  His  personal  character,  known  to  men.  And  now  He  longs 
for  the  resumption  of  the  state  in  which  He  existed  before  the  errand 
to  the  earth  was  undertaken,  before  ever  there  was  any  earth  with  its 
burden  of  sin  and  suffering  to  be  transformed  into  the  scene  of  the 
civilization  of  the  endless  hfe. 

Jesus  considers  those  who  have  recognized  Him  as  the  revelation 
of  God  to  be  in  especially  sympathetic  relation  to  God  Himself. 
They  were  willingly  the  property  of  God,  and  were  entrusted  by  God 
to  Jesus.  Read  vv.  6-8.  Jesus  has  them  in  charge  and  is  in  a  sense 
responsible  for  them.  Therefore  He  begins  in  v.  9  to  pray  earnestly 
for  them.  He  feels  that  in  a  sense  His  reputation  rests  with  them. 
What  He  can  succeed  in  making  of  them  will  give  Him  His  reputation 
in  the  world.  That  is,  He  is  "glorified  in  them"  (v.  10).  Note  in 
V.  II  the  thing  that  He  is  chiefly  concerned  about.  It  is  that  the 
disciples  may  be  kept  in  vital  association  with  God,  whom  Jesus  has 
brought  to  them.  If  this  can  be,  they  will  be  harmoniously  related 
to  each  other  (v.  11).  Jesus  has  kept  them  in  life,  except  one,  but 
He  does  not  feel  that  He  is  responsible  for  the  loss  of  this  one  (v.  12). 
The  reason  for  His  praying  in  their  presence  is  that  they  may  so  realize 
the  situation  as  to  feel  the  deep  joy  that  Jesus  Himself  experiences 
(v.  13).     What  was  there  in  the  situation  that  occasioned  Jesus'  joy  .'' 

Personal  Thought :  "Thou  gavest  them  to  me."  Think  of  yourself 
as  the  gift  of  God  to  Jesus  Christ.  You  are  not  simply  committed  to 
Him  by  your  own  weak  resolution,  but  behind  your  resolution  is  the 
will  of  God.  Jesus  Christ  is  to  do  with  you  and  for  you  whatever 
His  unspeakable  love  wills. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       249 


Study   XXIX.— 3ff«ti£(   Jlafees    an   ^EnregcrbeU   Kc\)cIation   of 
(?5race  aiiU  Crutb  |)ribatclj>  to  ^ie  £)iBctple6,  Wi\ic^  Ee= 

suits   in   belief    (Concluded) 
Third  Day:  The  Confidentisil  Revelation  (concluded).    John  17 

Read  carefully  w.  14-19.  Jesus  prays  that  this  company  of  men 
may  be  kept  free  from  the  spirit  of  selfishness  that  prevails  in  the  world 
(v.  15).  They  are  to  be  "sanctified;"  that  is,  set  apart  as  sacred  to 
God's  uses  in  the  world,  just  as  Jesus  Himself  has  been.  That  which 
secures  this  result  is  their  loyal  acceptance  of  the  truth  in  God's  mes- 
sage to  them  (vv.  17-18).  Jesus  openly,  in  the  sight  of  His  disciples, 
sets  Himself  apart  as  sacred  to  God's  uses,  as  one  who  always  accepts 
God's  messages  of  truth  (cf.  8 :  29),  in  order  that  the  disciples  may  be 
induced  by  His  example  to  do  the  same  (v.  19).  In  v.  20  He  begins 
to  pray  for  the  church  to  be.  The  sight  of  a  body  of  men  conspicuous 
for  their  unfailing  love  to  each  other  will  seem  to  the  world  a  phe- 
nomenon that  can  be  accounted  for  only  on  the  supposition  that  He 
whose  name  they  bear  came  forth  from  God,  and  that  He  and  they 
are  in  vital  connection  with  God  (vv.  20-23).  I"  ^-  24  Jesus  prays 
that  He  may  never  be  separated  from  His  friends.  He  wishes  to 
share  the  glory  of  the  other  world  with  them,  just  as  He  has  always 
shared  everything  with  them  in  this  world.  Jesus  has  revealed  God 
to  them,  and  He  will  reveal  Him  still  further  in  His  death  and  resur- 
rection (vv.  25-26a).  His  great  final  petition  is  that  the  disciples 
may  be  an  incarnation  of  the  love  of  God,  and  that  in  them  He  may 
find  continued  expression  for  Himself  (v.  26b). 

Read  once  more  the  entire  chapter,  imagining  yourself  to  be  a  mem- 
ber of  the  listening  group,  and  remember  that  as  Jesus  felt  when  He 
spoke  these  words,  so  He  feels  now.  As  He  prayed  for  these  men,  so 
He  prays  for  us  now. 

Personal  Thought:  "That  the  love  wherewith  thou  lovedst  me 
may  be  in  them,  and  I  in  them."  The  mighty  love  of  God  for  His 
well-beloved  Son,  a  love  that  is  older  than  the  stars  and  stronger  than 
all  passion,  is  to  well  up  in  the  heart  of  the  disciple  of  Jesus  Christ.  It 
will  not  overpower  him  and  destroy  his  individuality.  It  will  grad- 
ually, under  the  daily  superintendence  of  the  Christ  in  him,  become 
his  own.  No  human  enmity  will  be  able  to  quench  it.  He  will  be 
perfect  as  His  Heavenly  Father  is  perfect  (Matt.  5 :  48). 


250       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXIX.— STccufi'  final  Kcijflation  of  (SnU  in  DcatI)  anti 
Kcsiurrcction  Confirms  t!)c  belief  of  t\)t  T>i6cifk6 

Fourth   Day:    Jesus  is  Arrested  by  the  Unbelieving  Priests  and 
Rabbis.     John  18:1-12 

1.  In  I  :  19-12:  50  we  saw  Jesus  making  a  revelation  of  God's  grace 
and  truth  that  divided  the  nation  into  those  that  beheved  and  dis- 
beHeved  with  varying  grades  of  intensity.  In  chapters  13-17  Jesus, 
in  the  privacy  of  the  inner  circle,  revealed  God's  grace  and  truth  with 
great  unreserve,  and  secured  an  expression  of  belief  from  the  disciples. 
Now  in  chapters  18-20  occurs  the  culminating  expression  of  unbelief 
on  the  part  of  Jesus'  enemies,  who  crucify  Him;  and  also  the  culmi- 
nating manifestation  of  God's  grace  and  truth,  which  wins  from  the 
disciples  complete  and  enthusiastic  belief. 

2.  Read  18:  1-12  with  active  imagination.  What  evidence  is  there 
here  of  Jesus'  kindliness,  especially  in  His  relation  to  the  disciples 
with  whom  He  has  just  been  talking  and  praying  so  affectionately  ? 
Look  the  paragraph  over  for  indications  that  the  account  comes  from 
an  eye-witness.  Judas  appears  here  as  superintending  the  arrest. 
Two  elements  were  present  in  the  arresting  party:  the  "band"  (v.  3), 
that  is,  a  cohort  of  Roman  soldiers  with  its  chiliarch  (v.  12),  and  "offi- 
cers," that  is,  Jewish  officers  from  the  court  of  the  Sanhedrin  and  the 
temple  police.  A  cohort  was  regularly  about  six  hundred  men. 
Possibly  "the"  cohort  in  the  barracks  was  put  at  the  disposal  of  the 
Sanhedrin,  and  so  large  a  detachment  as  was  thought  necessary  was 
despatched  on  this  errand.  They  evidently  anticipated  difficulty  in 
arresting  Jesus.  Those  who  advanced  to  arrest  Him  were  evidently 
nervous.  When  He  stepped  boldly  forward  perhaps  they  feared  that 
He  was  enticing  them  into  an  ambuscade  of  His  followers.  More 
probably  if  the  Jewish  officers  were  at  the  front  they  feared  that  He 
would  exercise  against  them  the  uncanny  power  of  Beelzebub,  by 
which  He  was  supposed  to  have  done  His  mighty  works.  In  any 
case,  they  stumbled  over  each  other  in  a  quick  retreat  for  a  moment 
(v.  6).     Then  they  gathered  courage,  seized  and  bound  Him. 

Personal  Thought :  "The  cup  which  the  Father  hath  given  me,  shall 
I  not  drink  it?"  Any  hardship  can  be  endured  with  readiness  and 
steadiness  if  only  it  be  evidently  the  will  of  God,  for  God  is  a  Father, 
and  nothing  that  can  come  from  the  Father  can  harm  us.  On  the 
contrary,  it  is  wholly  good.  Suppose  that  Jesus  had  dashed  the  cup 
down  and  refused  to  drink  it  ! 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       251 


Study  XXIX.— STcBttfit'  iFinal  Kcbelatton  of  (005  in  T)tnt^  anK 
Ecfiurccction  ConfirmB!  t^e  belief  of  tl)e  2)tgciplcd 

Fifth  Day:  Jesus  Before  the  High  Priest  and  the  Procurator. 
John  18:13-32 

1.  John's  account  of  what  the  Jewish  authorities  did  with  Jesus  Is 
veiy  meagre.  The  trial  and  condemnation  in  the  Sanhedrin,  of  which 
the  Synoptic  Gospels  make  so  much,  he  omits  entirely.  He  hints 
at  some  informal  hearing  in  the  palace  of  Annas,  the  old  ex-high  priest. 
Read  vv.  12-14,  19-24.  What  did  the  high  priest  suspect  Jesus  of 
doing  ?     Why  did  Jesus  resent  his  question  ? 

Read  w.  15-18,  25-27,  which  contain  matter  sufficiently  considered 
in  the  study  of  the  Synoptic  Gospels. 

2.  Read  vv.  28-32  with  careful  attention  to  all  the  details.  In  v. 
28  if  the  "passover"  refers  to  the  paschal  lamb,  then  this  Gospel  rep- 
resents Jesus  to  have  been  crucified  before  the  paschal  supper,  instead 
of  after  it  as  the  Synoptic  Gospels  represent.  It  is  maintained  that 
the  "passover"  refers  not  to  the  eating  of  the  paschal  lamb,  but  to  a 
celebration  which  occurred  the  day  after  the  paschal  supper. 

We  are  to  trace  the  steps  in  the  hearing  before  the  procurator.  The 
delegation  from  the  Sanhedrin  sends  Jesus  inside  the  praetorium  to 
the  procurator's  office,  probably  in  the  custody  of  a  soldier  who  had 
no  fear  of  ceremonial  defilement  from  entering  a  foreigner's  house 
(v.  28).  Pilate  at  once  comes  out  into  the  street  to  inquire  what  the 
charge  against  the  prisoner  is  (v.  29).  The  Sanhedrin  delegation 
refuses  to  specify  His  crime.  They  simply  state  that  He  is  a  criminal 
and  hope  that  on  the  strength  of  this  general  statement  the  procurator 
will,  without  going  into  the  details,  at  once  authorize  Jesus'  death  and 
let  them  hurry  on  with  His  execution.  Pilate,  with  a  Roman  scorn  for 
Jews  that  is  evident  in  all  this  incident,  suggests  that  it  might  be  well 
for  them  to  give  Jesus  a  trial  and  dispose  of  Him  legally.  The  dele- 
gation then  probably  explain  that  they  have  tried  Jesus  and  condemned 
Him  to  death,  but  lack  authority  to  execute  the  sentence.  They  also 
tell  Pilate  that  Jesus  is  an  insurrectionist  who  pretends  to  be  a  king, 
as  is  evident  from  v.  33,  which  will  be  taken  up  to-morrow.  John 
has  said  that  Jesus  expected  to  be  put  to  death  by  a  Roman  cruci- 
fixion rather  than  by  Jewish  stoning  (v.  32,  cf.  12:32-33). 

Personal  Thought :  Read  vv.  15-18.  If  Peter  had  only  overcome 
His  temptation  in  the  beginning, — while  he  had  his  friend's  support 
and  only  one  to  question  him, — he   would  have  conquered. 


252       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXIX.— ^Tcctud'  Jinal  Ecbrlation  0!  (Soil  in  ^eatlj  aaH 
KeBturrcction  Confirms  t\)c  ^clirf  of  tl)c  ^Dtcciplcs 

Sixth  Day:  Jesus  Before  the  Procurator  (continued).    John  18: 

33-19:16 

In  18 :  33  there  begins  a  series  of  remarkable  interviews  between 
Jesus  and  Pilate.  John  has  repeatedly  brought  individuals  and  groups 
face  to  face  with  Jesus  and  noted  the  effect.  There  has  been  no 
more  interesting  episode  than  this  one.  Read  18:33-19:16  and 
answer  as  best  you  can  these  questions:  What  did  Pilate  think  of 
Jesus  at  the  beginning  of  his  conversation  with  Him  ?  What  did  He 
think  of  Him  at  the  close  f  What  led  him  to  change  his  opinion  ? 
Why  did  he  not  do  what  he  felt  he  ought  to  do  ? 

Personal  Thought :  Jesus  inevitably  judged  the  men  who  came  into 
His  presence.  No  one  ever  stood  long  before  Him  without  being 
made  more  or  less  distinctly  to  see  himself.  Here  this  morning  is 
Pilate,  the  Roman,  with  all  the  imposing  prestige  of  his  office,  and 
before  him  is  a  poor  Jew.  The  Roman  has  the  supporting  authority 
of  the  great  nation  to  which  he  belongs  behind  him;  the  poor  Jew  has 
behind  Him  the  leaders  of  His  people  trying  in  malignant  hatred  to 
crowd  Him  into  the  jaws  of  death.  And  yet  the  two  men  do  not  face 
each  other  long  before  Pilate  begins  to  feel  what  he  never  realized 
before,  that  he  is  a  weak  coward,  and  that  his  brave  words  about 
"power"  to  release  and  "povi^er"  to  crucify  are  only  a  confession  of 
cowardice.  Jesus  secured  this  result  by  the  power  of  His  personality, 
and  not  by  the  prestige  of  his  office  It  was  not  the  procurator  before 
the  Messiah;  it  was  Pilate  before  Jesus.  Jesus  can  bring  surely  to 
the  surface  your  inmost  sin,  and  can  with  equal  certainty  remove  it 
if  you  yield  yourself  to  Him. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       2^2 


Study  XXlX.—^tStti'  Jinal  Eebelation  of  (3ati  in  IDeatlb  anif 
Ecfiiurrcctton  Confirms  tj)e  belief  of  tl)e  T>i6t\fle6 

Seventh  Day:  Jesus  Before  the  Procurator  (concluded).    John 
18:33-19:16 

Consider  in  detail  these  interviews  between  Pilate  and  Jesus.  Read 
vv.  33-40.  When  Pilate  had  learned  from  the  priests  and  rabbis  in 
the  street  that  Jesus  pretended  to  be  a  king,  he  took  Jesus  into  his 
official  chamber  and  with  something  of  judicial  severity  and  Roman 
contempt  said  to  Him:  "Do  you  pretend  to  be  a  king  of  the  Jewish 
people.^"  Jesus  could  not  answer  this  question  directly.  He  was, 
and  He  was  not,  a  king.  He  was  a  king  in  the  best  Messianic  sense, 
but  He  was  not  a  king  who  sought  the  political  overthrow  of  the  Caesars' 
empire.  So  He  replied:  "Are  you  asking  this  question  because  you 
seriously  suspect  me  of  trying  to  organize  and  lead  a  revolt  from  the 
Caesars'  control  ?  Or  has  it  simply  been  reported  to  you  by  my  country- 
men that  I  regard  myself  as  a  Messianic  king .?  Can  I  have  from  you 
a  fair  independent  investigation  of  the  facts,  or  shall  you  render  your 
judgment  simply  on  the  basis  of  what  the  priests  and  rabbis  report?" 
In  this  first  question  Jesus  probes  for  Pilate's  weak  point.  Will  Pilate 
dare  to  be  fair?  Pilate  repUes  in  impatience:  "Do  you  take  me  for 
a  Jew  ?  Do  you  suppose  that  I  concern  myself  with  your  petty  in- 
trigues and  distinctions  ?  Your  own  people  have  brought  you  here  to 
be  sentenced  to  death.  What  I  want  to  know  is  what  you  have  done." 
Jesus  says :  "  I  will  answer  your  question.  I  am,  and  I  am  not,  a  king. 
I  have  a  kingdom,  but  it  is  not  won  by  force  of  arms.  You  can  easily 
see  that  this  is  so,  for  I  and  my  followers  have  never  gathered  arms 
nor  fought  with  our  enemies."  Pilate,  either  with  amused  interest, 
or  with  a  desire  to  push  Jesus  to  an  unequivocal  statement  that  might 
serve  as  a  basis  for  an  official  decision,  says:  "You  really  do  regard 
yourself  as  a  king  then  ?"  Jesus  replies:  "You  may  call  me  a  king 
if  you  like.  My  mission  in  the  world  is  to  call  attention  to  what  is 
true."  Pilate  says:  "Who  knows  what  truth  is?  That  is  an  idle 
question  that  philosophers  discuss."  Pilate  concludes  that  Jesus  is  a 
fanatical  but  harmless  doctrinaire,  who  has  become  interested  in 
philosophical  speculations  regarding  truth,  and  suggests  to  the  dele- 
gation in  the  street  that  they  accept  His  release  as  their  annual  Pass- 
over gift.     They  reply  that  they  have  already  selected  another  prisoner. 

Read  19:1-6.  Pilate,  having  secured  in  Jesus'  acknowledgment 
that  He  is  a  king,  technical  ground  for  endorsing  the  sentence,  seems 


254       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


inclined  to  proceed,  has  Jesus  scourged  and  leaves  Him  for  a  time  to  be 
the  sport  of  the  soldiers.  Pilate  goes  out  to  the  street  and  announces 
that  he  has  found  nothing  criminal  in  the  man,  and  that  He  will  give 
Him  back  to  them.  He  then  has  Jesus  brought  out,  thorn-crowned, 
scourged,  wearing  an  old  cloak  of  royal  color.  He  hopes  that  what 
he  has  had  done  to  Jesus  will  satisfy  them.  But  instantly  the  priests 
and  officials,  maddened  by  the  sight,  yell  "Crucify!  Crucify!"  Pilate 
says  if  they  wish  to  crucify  Him  they  will  have  to  do  it  without  official 
endorsement.  It  would  have  been  hazardous  for  the  Jews  to  have 
acted  upon  this  suggestion,  and  even  if  Pilate  had  overlooked  the 
illegality  of  such  action,  it  would  always  have  been  possible  for  Jesus' 
followers  to  say  that  a  great  prophet  had  been  illegally  put  to  death  as 
spite  work.  Nothing  would  answer  except  a  formal  legal  execution. 
The  Jews  therefore  presented  a  new  phase  of  the  case.  They  say  to 
Pilate  that  Jesus,  by  calling  Himself  the  Son  of  God,  has  clearly  trans- 
gressed a  definite  law  against  blasphemy,  and  that  Pilate  is  legally 
bound  as  procurator  to  give  effect  to  this  law  by  signing  Jesus'  death- 
warrant.  Read  V.  7.  This  statement  startles  Pilate,  and  leads  to 
another  examination  of  Jesus.  Read  vv.  8-9.  Pilate,  gruff  and 
contemptuous,  and  feeling  that  there  is  something  uncanny  about 
Jesus,  says :  "  Fellow,  where  do  you  come  from  ?  What  is  your  his- 
tory .i*  Have  you  anything  to  do  with  the  gods?"  Pilate  is  super- 
stitious after  all!  Jesus,  who  can  make  no  reply  intelligible  to  Pilate, 
maintains  a  dignified  silence.  Pilate  says:  "Do  you  not  answer  me? 
Do  you  not  know  that  you  are  wholly  in  my  power .?"  Jesus  replies: 
"I  am  not  at  all  in  your  power.  A  higher  than  human  power,  that 
could  deliver  me  if  it  were  best,  has  placed  me  in  the  present  situation. 
You  must  decide  what  you  will  do  with  me,  but  you  are  not  as  guilty 
as  the  priest  who  has  forced  this  situation  upon  you."  Read  vv.  10-16. 
This  impresses  Pilate,  and  he  tries  earnestly  to  have  Jesus  released. 
The  hard,  shrewd  priests,  however,  frighten  him  by  hinting  that  they 
will  report  him  at  Rome.  It  is  with  angry  sarcasm  that  he  says: 
"Look  at  your  king!  Shall  I  crucify  your  king?"  The  priests  reply 
with  keener  sarcasm:  "We  have  no  king  but  Caesar."  Pilate  yields 
and  the  episode  is  over. 

Personal  Thought :  Pilate's  reason  for  letting  Jesus  be  crucified 
was  the  same  that  explains  the  conduct  of  the  priests  and  rabbis :  he 
was  afraid  that  he  would  lose  his  place  if  he  spared  Jesus.  Human 
selfishness  crucified  Jesus.  In  the  crucifixion  of  Jesus  every  selfish 
man  has  a  chance  to  see  what  highly  developed  selfishness  really  is. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       2^^ 


Study  XXX.— ^Tcsttfii*  JFinal  Eeijclatton  of  (S5oti  in  Deatb  anU 
KtEmrrcctian  Confirms  tl)c  ^tlitt  of  tl)c  ^Dtectpleg  (Continued) 

First  Day:   The  Crucifixion.    John  19:17-42 

In  vv.  13-14  John  solemnly  gives  the  place,  day,  and  hour  of  Jesus' 
final  sentence.  He  gives  the  hour  as  twelve  o'clock,  while  Mark  15 :  25 
gives  nine  o'clock  as  the  hour  of  the  crucifixion.  As  is  often  said, 
wF/tches  were  not  in  use  and  time  was  very  inaccurately  indicated. 
Time  half-way  between  nine  and  twelve  o'clock  might  have  been 
called  either.  It  is  significant,  however,  that  although  the  author 
of  this  Gospel  seems  to  be  acquainted  with  the  Synoptic  Gospels,  he 
does  not  shrink  from  the  appearance  of  correcting  them,  which  is  a 
reason  for  attributing  the  Gospel  to  an  apostle. 

Read  vv.  16-30  with  careful  and  reverent  attention  to  all  the  details, 
and  answer  these  questions :  What  evidence  is  there  here  as  to  what 
Jesus  was  thinking  about  on  the  cross  .?  Especially  what  is  the  mean- 
ing of  His  words  in  v.  30  .?  What  evidence  is  there  that  the  account 
comes  from  an  eye-witness  ?  Describe  the  frame  of  mind  in  which 
Pilate  dictated  the  inscription  for  the  tablet  at  the  head  of  the  cross, 
and  in  which  he  made  the  reply  recorded  in  v.  22.  Read  vv.  31-37. 
The  hideousness  of  doing  all  this  in  the  name  of  religion  comes  dra- 
matically out  in  V.  31.  The  circumstance  in  v.  34  seems  to  the  author 
to  be  one  of  great  significance  (v.  35),  though  just  why  it  seems  so  to 
him  is  not  clear.  If  we  knew  all  that  was  being  said  among  the 
author's  heretical  contemporaries,  in  view  of  whom  the  Gospel  was 
written,  we  might  understand  it  better.  The  motive  of  the  soldier 
was  to  make  sure  that  Jesus  was  dead,  and  perhaps  John  is  also  con- 
cerned to  cite  the  phenomenon  as  evidence  that  Jesus  really  died. 
Modern  physiologists  have  said  that  the  phenomenon  is  evidence  that 
Jesus'  heart  had  been  ruptured,  and  assert  that  such  rupture  is  caused 
by  extreme  mental  distress.  If  this  be  so,  it  is  of  importance  in  the 
effort  to  determine  what  really  killed  Jesus  and  the  significance  of  His 
death,  which  is  a  topic  for  later  study  in  the  "Teaching  of  Jesus  and 
His  Apostles."     Read  once  more  vv.  38-42. 

Personal  Thought:  "I  thirst."  The  supreme  revelation  of  God 
crying  out  in  helplessness  for  that  which,  next  to  air,  is  most  abundant 
and  most  necessary  to  human  life  !  Yet  in  this  situation  is  seen  the 
glory  of  our  religion.  Ours  is  a  Fatherly  God  who  in  seeking,  suffer- 
ing love  goes  even  to  the  uttermost  of  self-sacrifice  for  His  lost  children. 


256       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXX.— 3fe£(U6'  final  Kctaclatian  of  <3a^  in  ^catl)  anU 

Kesorrcction  Confirms  tl)c  -ScIicE  of  tl)c  ^tsctples  {Continued) 

Second  Day:  The  Resurrection.    John  20:1-18 

In  the  early  morning  of  the  second  day  after  the  execution  of  Jesus, 
one  of  the  women  brought  painful  news  to  the  house  where  Peter, 
John,  and  Jesus'  mother  (of.  19:27)  were  lodging.  The  grave  of 
Jesus  had  been  robbed,  and  His  enemies  probably  proposed  to  sub- 
ject the  body  to  indignities.  Peter  and  John  instantly  ran  to  the 
tomb.  They  found  the  grave  clothes  in  such  perfect  order  as  to  for- 
bid the  theory  of  grave  robbery,  and  John  reached  the  bold  conclusion 
that  there  had  been  a  resurrection.  Read  John  20:1-10.  What 
evidence  is  there  that  this  account  comes  from  an  eye-witness  ? 

It  would  seem  that  as  soon  as  Mary  Magdalene  came  near  enough 
to  the  tomb  to  see  that  the  stone  was  rolled  away,  she  left  the  group 
of  women  who,  according  to  the  Synoptic  Gospels,  had  started  for 
the  grave  (Mark  16:  i),  and  hurried  back  to  tell  the  disciples  that 
the  grave  had  been  robbed.  She  did  not,  therefore,  receive  the  message 
given  by  the  angel  to  the  other  women  who  went  on  (Mark  16:  5-6). 
She  came  back  again  to  the  tomb  after  the  other  women  had  left  it, 
and  also  after  Peter  and  John  had  gone  away.  The  death  of  Jesus 
had  been  a  great  personal  grief  to  her.  She  had  been  a  peculiarly 
violent  demoniac,  and  Jesus  had  restored  her  reason  (Mark  16:9). 
Read  20 :  1 1-18.  The  sight  of  one  who,  seen  through  her  tears,  seemed 
perhaps  to  be  the  rich  man's  gardener  suggested  that  possibly  the 
grave  had  not  been  robbed  (v.  15).  One  word,  perhaps  the  one  by 
which  she  had  been  called  back  from  awful  mental  ruin  to  orderly  self- 
consciousness,  revealed  Jesus  to  her  (v.  16).  She  fell  at  His  feet,  but 
He  forbade  her  to  touch  Him.  The  old  time  relationships  of  the  flesh 
and  blood  existence  could  not  be  resumed,  and  there  had  not  yet  oc- 
curred the  ascension  to  the  Father  which  would  make  intimate  spiritual 
fellowship  possible  (v.  17).  What  does  the  last  half  of  v.  17  show 
regarding  the  feeling  of  Jesus  about  His  disciples  .'' 

Personal  Thought:  "Mary  was  standing  at  the  tomb  weeping." 
To  us  who  look  on  from  the  outside,  the  sight  of  this  woman  weeping 
bitterly  at  the  grave,  unconscious  of  the  fact  that  all  the  air  about  her 
is  tremulous  vsnth  the  joy  and  glory  of  the  resurrection,  is  peculiarly  pa- 
thetic. Perhaps  we  shall  one  day  so  realize  the  facts  of  the  spiritual 
world  as  to  have  our  sorrow  for  the  dead  not  simply  mitigated,  as  it 
now  is,  but  really  turned  to  joy. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       257 


Study  XXX.—'^t&ns*  final  Ertelatton  of  (Boti  in  Deatf)  anU 
Kesttrrcrtion  ©onfinns  tl)e  belief  of  tl)c  £>igciplcfif  (Concluded) 

Third  Day:  The  Resurrection  (concluded).    John  20:19-31 

Read  John  20:  19-29.  What  were  the  disciples  afraid  of  (v.  19)? 
The  last  clause  in  v.  21  sheds  light  on  the  last  part  of  v.  17.  Jesus, 
who  has  in  chapters  13-17  proposed  to  share  all  things  with  His  dis- 
ciples, now  proposes  to  share  with  them  His  mission.  This  is  in  accord 
with  17:26.  He  had  been  sent  to  reveal  God  to  men,  and  now  the 
disciple,  upon  the  smaller  scale  of  his  personality,  is  to  do  the  same. 
There  is  being  slowly  developed  in  the  world  a  great  body  of  Christ, 
that  shall  reveal  and  express  the  love  of  God  to  man.  The  church 
of  Christ  will  go  mercifully  into  all  the  dark  places  of  the  earth 
and  perpetuate  the  activity  of  its  Lord.  This  truth  comes  out  in 
more  startling  form  in  v.  23.  The  meaning  seems  to  be  that  the 
body  of  Christ's  disciples  in  the  world,  possessed  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
will  lead  men  to  repentance  and  forgiveness  as  Jesus  has  been  doing. 
When  this  body  is  fully  developed  and  possessed  by  the  Spirit  of  God, 
its  moral  standards  and  judgments  will  be  those  of  Jesus  Christ  Him- 
self. Failure  to  conform  to  them  will  be  condemnation.  This,  of 
course,  has  not  yet  taken  place.  There  is  given  here,  as  in  the  profound, 
far-reaching  discourse  of  chapters  13-17  (e.  g.ij:  22),  an  ideal  towards 
which  progress  is  being  made. 

Make  a  brief  analysis  of  the  character  of  Thomas  on  the  basis  of 
the  material  afforded  by  John  Il:l6;  14  :  5;  20:24-29.  In  v.  28 
the  climax  of  belief  is  reached  in  John's  presentation.  The  last 
member  of  the  inner  circle  is  brought  to  the  fulness  of  faith.  He 
finally  sees  in  Jesus  what  Jesus  has  so  long  been  conscious  of  being. 
Jesus  is  such  a  revelation  of  God  to  him  that  he  can  only  say  with  all 
the  devotion  of  his  plain,  honest  heart,  "My  Lord  and  my  God  !" 
Is  it  likely  that  in  v.  29  Jesus  had  some  special  persons  in  view  who 
at  the  time  of  speaking  had  believed  without  having  seen  Him  ?  How 
is  what  John  has  written  calculated  to  make  his  readers  continue  to 
believe  in  Jesus  Christ  (v.  31) .? 

Personal  Thought:  "Life  in  His  name"  (v.  31).  Life  implies 
growth.  Growth,  then,  comes  from  being  "in  His  name,"  that  is, 
from  being  in  close  fellowship  with  His  personality.  What  we  shall 
grow  into  we  can  only  reverently  and  gratefully  surmise  as  we  read 
such  words  as  vv.  21-23. 


258       Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 


Study  XXX.— ©Ije  appcnUij: 

Fourth  Day:  Another  Appearance  of  Jesus  After  the  Resurrec- 
tion.    John  21 

The  Gospel  comes  to  its  logical  close  at  the  end  of  chapter  20. 
Chapter  21  is  an  appendix  describing  another  interesting  appearance 
of  "Jesus  to  His  disciples,  famous  because  of  the  remark  made  in  it 
by  Jesus,  which  had  been  wrongly  interpreted  by  many  to  mean  that 
the  disciple  whom  Jesus  loved  would  not  die.  Read  the  chapter. 
Vv.  24-25  seem  to  have  been  added  by  someone  in  the  circle  of  the 
author's  friends.  What  traits  of  Jesus'  character  that  have  been  up- 
permost throughout  the  Gospel  appear  also  in  this  appendix  ? 

Personal  Thought :  "Simon,  son  of  John,  lovest  thou  me  ?  .  .  . 
Tend  my  sheep."  Mental  states  that  do  not  result  in  action  are  not 
wholesome.  All  the  intensity  of  our  devotion  to  Jesus  Christ  is  to 
express  itself  in  action  directed  to  securing  the  welfare  of  our  fellow- 
men. 


Study  XXX.— C^e  final  Keating  of  Sfobn'fi  (Sospel 
Fifth  Day:  John  1-7 

The  next  three  days  are  to  be  devoted  to  a  rapid  review  reading  of  the 
Gospel  of  John.  After  the  detailed  study  of  the  past  few  weeks  it 
will  be  interesting  once  more  to  look  at  the  Gospel  as  a  whole.  The 
Gospel  can  be  read  through  in  about  an  hour  and  a  quarter.  To-day 
read  chapters  1-7. 

Personal  Thought: 

"  Let  me  live  in  a  house  by  the  side  of  the  road, 
Where  the  race  of  men  go  by — 
The  men  who  are  good  and  the  men  who  are  bad, 

As  good  and  as  bad  as  I. 
I  would  not  sit  in  the  icorner's  seat, 

Or  hurl  the  cynic's  ban; — 
Let  me  live  in  a  house  by  the  side  of  the  road 
And  be  a  friend  to  man." 

Foss,    Tie  House  by  tht  Side  of  the  Road. 


Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ       259 


Study  XXX.— Cf)C  jFtnal  KeaUtnff  of  ^Toljn'fi  (?5o6pel  (^ContinueJ) 

Sixth  Day:  John  8-13 

Read  to-day  chapters  8-13. 
Personal  Thought: 

"  For  life,  with  all  it  yields  of  joy  and  woe, 

And  hope  and  fear, — believe  the  aged  friend, — 
Is  just  our  chance  o'  the  prize  of  learning  love, 
How  love  might  be,  hath  been  indeed,  and  is; 
And  that  we  hold  henceforth  to  the  uttermost 
Such  prize  despite  the  envy  of  the  world. 
And,  having  gained  truth,  keep  truth  :   that  is  all." 

Browning,  ^  Death  in  the  Desert. 


Study  XXX.— CTJie  jFinal  EcaUing;  of  ^oI)n*g  (Soepcl  {Concluded} 

Seventh  Day:  John  14-21 

Read  to-day  chapters  14-21. 
Personal  Thought : 

"  I  say,  the  acknowledgment  of  God  in  Christ 
Accepted  by  thy  reason,  solves  for  thee 
All  questions  in  the  earth  and  out  of  it, 
And  has  so  far  advanced  thee  to  be  wise." 

Browning,  ^  Death  in  the  Desert. 

"Christ  liveth  in  me,  and  that  Hfe  which  I  now  live  in  the  flesh 
I  Hve  in  faith,  the  faith  which  is  in  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved  me  and 
gave  Himself  up  forme." — Paul,  Letter  to  the  Galatians. 


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TRAINING 


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A  short  course  of  seventeen  lessons  designed  for  elementary  work 
in  classes  of  boys.    It  is  to  be  used  with  graphic  illustrations. 
What  Manner  of  Man  is  This?     W.  D.  Murray.     Cloth,  40 
cents;  paper,  25  cents. 
The  life  of  Christ  is  presented  here  in  nineteen  lessons  for  stu- 
dents under  fifteen.     The   author   gives    suggestions   for    original 
sketches  and  maps  and  the  us©  of  pictures  and  stereoscope.s.    Ar- 
ranged for  daily  study. 

Men  of  the  Bible.      W.  H.  Davis.     Teachers'  edition,  cloth, 
40  cents ;  paper,  25  cents.     Students'  Lesson  Leaves, 
with  maps  for  tracing  journeys.     Per  set,  15  cents: 
per  dozen.  $1.50. 
A  course  based  upon  characters  of  the  Old  Testament,    with 
lessons  also  upon  Christ  and  Paul.    It  is  intended  to  be  used  in  con- 
nection with  clay  modeling  and  map  moulding. 
Men  Who  Dared.      C.    G.    Triimbull.      Teachers'  edition, 
cloth,  40  cents;  paper,  25  cents.  Students'  edition,  10 
cents.      A  set  of  twelve  half-tone  pictures  to  illus- 
trate the  lessons,  10  cents  per  set. 
Teachers  of  young  people  under  fifteen  will  find  here  a  new 
course  in  Old  Testament  character  study.    The  eighteen  lessons  are 
arranged  for  daily  work. 

Travels  of  Paul.      Melvin  Jackson.       Teachers'  edition, 

cloth,  40  cents;  paper,  25  cents.     Students'   Lesson 

Leaves,  with  maps  for  tracing  journeys.     Per  set,  10 

cents;  per  dozen,  $1.00. 

A  course  of  twenty-five  weeks  in  which  the  aim  has  been  to 

bring  out  the  heroic  qualities  in  the  Life  of  Paul. 

AGES  15  TO  18 
Life  and  Works  of  Jesus  According  to  St.  Mark.     W.  D. 

Murray.     Cloth,  75  cents;  paper,  50  cents. 
An  introductory  course  on  the  Life  of  Christ,  designed  to  em- 
phasize especially  His  mighty  works. 

Men  of  the  Old  Testament.     L.  K.    Wilbnan.     Cloth,  75 
cents ;  paper,  50  cents. 
Eighteen  studies,  designed  to  show  the  mind  and  heart  of  God  m 
the  shaping  of  the  Hebrew  people. 

Message  of  the  Twelve  Prophets.       W.  D.  Murray.     Cloth, 
75  cents ;  paper,  50  cents. 
An  elementary  course  of  twenty-eight  lessons,  the  purpose  being 
to  make  the  minor  prophets  the  subject  of  devotional  study. 
Studies  in  the  Life  of  St.  Paul.     A.  G.  Leacock.      Cloth,  7o 
cents ;  paper,  50  cents.  .      ,      •, 

Twenty-three  studies,   with  generous  comments  on  the  details 
connected  with  the  great  Apostle's  life  and  work. 


YOUNG    MEN'S     CHRISTIAN     ASSOCIATION    PRESS 
124  East  28th  Street,  New  York 


Bible  Study  Courses 

ADVANCED 

Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus  Christ.     E.  I.  Bosworth.     Cloth, 
90  cents;  paper,  60  cents. 
Detailed  studies  in  the  Gospels  of  Mark  and  John,  with  general 
surveys  of  the  Gospels  of  Matthew  and  Luke. 

Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ.     H.  B.  Sharman. 

Based  on  "A  Harmony  of  the  Gospels,"  by  Stevens  and  Burton, 
and  arranged  for  daily  study.  Studies  with  Harmony  in  cloth,  $1.25. 
Studies  with  Harmony  in  paper,  76  cents.  Studies  in  cloth,  75  cents. 
Harmony  in  cloth,  $1.00.    The  books  in  paper  not  sold  separately. 

Studies  in  the  Life  of  Jesus.       W.  H.  Sallmon.      Cloth,  40 
cents ;  paper,  25  cents. 
Outlines  in  twenty-five  lessons  for  a  historical  study  of  Christ's 
life  with  emphasis  upon  His  character  as  a  living  reality. 

New  Studies  in  Acts.  E.  I.  Bosworth.  Cloth,  75  cents; 
paper,  50  cents. 
Nineteen  studies,  replacing  Studies  in  Acts  and  Epistles,  and 
doing  away  with  the  Records  and  Letters.  The  course  has  been 
entirely  re-written  with  special  attention  to  Acts,  references  to  the 
epistles  being  largely  omitted. 

Studies  in  the  Life  of  Paul,      W.  H.  Sallmon.     Cloth,  40 
cents ;  paper,  25  cents. 
Twenty-four  lessons  emphasizing  the  personality  of  the  great  apos- 
tle, dealing  with  his  characteristics  as  a  student,  missionary,  hero,  etc. 
Studies  in  Old  Testament    Characters.        W.     W.     White. 
Cloth,  90  cents ;  paper,  60  cents. 
A  revised  edition  of  this  standard  book,  based  on  the  same  outline, 
but  requiring  less  work  of  the  student  than  the  previous  edition. 

Leaders   of    Israel.       G.    L.   Robinson.       Cloth,    75  cents; 
paper,  50  cents. 
Twenty-five  studies  portraying  the  character  of  Israel's  leaders 
and  the  history  of  the  chosen  people  from  the  time  of  Abraham  to  Christ. 

Work  and  Teaching  of  the  Earlier  Prophets.     C.  F.  Kent  and 
R.  S.  Sfnith.     Cloth,  60  cents ;  paper,  40  cents. 
These  studies  provide  work  for  thirteen  weeks  and  furnish  especial- 
ly illuminating  material  upon  the  character  and  work  of  the  prophets. 

Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles.     E.  I. 

Bosworth.     Cloth,  75  cents ;  paper,  50  cents. 
A  stimulating  topical  course  on  New  Testament  teachings. 
The    Truth   of    the    Apostolic    Gospel.       R.    A.    Falconer. 
Cloth,  75  cents;  paper,  50  cents. 
The  studies  will  be  found  very  helpful  to  the  understanding  of 
and  believing  in  the  Gospel  messages  of  the  New  Testament. 

Social  Teachings  of  Jesus.    /.   IV.  Jenks.     Cloth,  75  cents ; 
paper,  50  cents. 
A  twelve-weeks'  course  of  Bible  study,    considering   the  Man 
Jesus'  attitude  toward  the  leading  social  questions  of  to-day. 

YOUNG    MEN'S     CHRISTIAN     ASSOCIATION     PRESS 

124  East  28th  Street,  New  York 


Date 

Due 

Mr  7     '38 

Ur    O  i    S^> 

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